


The Collapse

by theholyholtby



Series: Fantastic Beasts - After CoG [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Global Wizarding War, POV Alternating, Post-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-10-01 18:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 57,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17249435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theholyholtby/pseuds/theholyholtby
Summary: Grindelwald's fight against the laws that have governed the wizarding world is heating up. Tina, Newt and Jacob find themselves wrapped up in Dumbledore and the Ministry's plans to take him down before a full blown war erupts.Queenie, meanwhile, finds herself conflicted. Striking an unlikely connection with Credence, they confront the choices they've made.This part of the story runs from 1927-1930.Part 1 of the Fantastic Beasts - After CoG series.





	1. Scamander's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a month since Paris, and Tina and Jacob have been trying to busy themselves.
> 
> Until they receive a letter from Newt Scamander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter is kinda lame not gonna lie, but the other chapters are better, cross my heart.

 

Tina

Jacob Kowalski’s bakery looked the same as anyone would expect. It was small, but not too small, boxed into the corner of Rivington Street. The inside of the shop was filled with the delicious smells of freshly baked breads and pastries, and was often packed with customers, some there to buy something, others to just enjoy the delicious smell and admire the creatively designed goods. To a regular person, the goods looked like imaginary creatures from the mind of Jacob Kowalski. However, those of sharpened knowledge and eye would be able to tell that they were real creatures, that roam both the magical and non-magical worlds. Those same people would likely recognise the newly hired worker in the back of the store as Porpentina Goldstein, Auror for the Magical Congress of the United States of America. They may even wonder why a top Auror is working in a no-maj’s bakery. Miss Goldstein, however, would prefer if they didn’t.

Tina hadn’t been inside the MACUSA premises once after she had reported what had happened in Paris one month ago. She simply couldn’t handle the focus on her. Instead, she had decided to get a basic job working in Kowalski’s Quality Baked Goods, a job she managed to secure by being friends with the owner.

Jacob and she had returned from Paris together. Jacob was a no-maj, which meant he should have had his memory of the magical world erased with the Obliviate charm, but Tina had managed to convince MACUSA that his experiences could prove valuable in defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald. In truth, Tina doubted that they could, but she was glad he hadn’t had his memory erased. Jacob was one of the only true friends she had and was certainly the only one in New York. Other people she considered friends were either elsewhere or had abandoned her after Paris. Fellow auror Achilles Tolliver had cut all contact with her after she had ended their relationship. Any other co-workers she considered friends wanted little to do with her. She figured this was due to the reason she had avoided going to MACUSA. In Paris, Tina’s beloved sister Queenie had joined Grindelwald. Tina knew that people in MACUSA would either blame her or give her pity. She was already an emotional mess without having intense focus on her from everyone else. Now she kept her efforts on the menial tasks of being a bakery underling.

At least the labour made the day go quickly, as Tina could go through the motions without having to think or interact with people. Soon it was closing time. Most of the other bakery workers would head home at closing, leaving Jacob to check inventory and lock the store. Unlike those workers, Tina would always stay and help Jacob. She had two reasons for this. Firstly, it gave her and Jacob a quiet time to talk with each other. Secondly, she currently lived with Jacob. This wasn’t because the two were romantically involved, however much Tina noticed the other workers gossip that they were. The real reason was that Tina couldn’t handle living in her old apartment that she had shared with Queenie. Whenever she entered it, she felt overwhelmed with melancholy. As Jacob had a rather spacious apartment, due to his bakery’s success, he had offered to give her a room. Tina knew he shared the same emotional pain regarding Queenie. They had been in a serious romantic relationship before she had joined Grindelwald’s army.

Tina heard Jacob’s voice calling as she locked the storage door.

‘Tina! You finished back there?’

Tina removed the key from the lock and walked into the main area of the store, seeing Jacob standing by the front door, waiting for her.

‘Yes, everything’s been locked.’ Tina said.

‘Good. Let’s get going.’

Jacob opened the door and gestured for Tina to lead the way. She stepped out into the cool evening air. A soft breeze rustled through her hair, it’s cool touch causing a slight shiver to run down her spine. Tina was convinced that New York in the evening was one of the most beautiful places in the world. The yellowy shine of twilight glittered from window to window, giving the tall skyscrapers the look of magnificent golden monuments piercing the heavens.

‘I’m always amazed how beautiful this city can be.’ Jacob said beside her.

Tina gave a slight nod of approval.

‘Let’s head home now. It’s getting a little chilly.’ she said as another cool breeze caressed her face.

Jacob started to walk down the street. Tina fell in step beside him. She always enjoyed the walk from the bakery to Jacob’s apartment. She and Jacob rarely talked during the journey. Tina saw it as a sacred time of silence between the two of them. She assumed Jacob felt the same way, as he never spoke up. Tina used it as a moment in time for self-reflection. A period in which she could be in the company of a friend but reflect only inwards.

‘Do you think Queenie thinks about her choice?’

Jacob’s question caught Tina off-guard. She had been deep in thought, unprepared for any conversation. Jacob seemed to notice the confusion etched over her face and gave a small smile.

‘Sorry to drop such a heavy question. I know we don’t really talk while walking, but it’s been eating at me for quite a while now. I just…’ Jacob said, trailing off.

‘No, it’s alright. If I’m honest Jacob, I don’t know. Grindelwald’s message of love obviously appealed to her, but I couldn’t say if she reflects on where her choice has led.’ Tina said.

Her answer seemed to be enough for Jacob, as he gave a sad nod. Tina couldn’t help but feel sorry for Jacob. His introduction to the magical community had been a complete mess. Queenie had helped him feel accepted, more than Tina was able to. For him to lose Queenie to Grindelwald was a loss of the woman he loved and his guide of the magical world.

The rest of the walk was completed in silence. Jacob lived close to his bakery, so it wasn’t long before they arrived at his apartment building. They entered the lobby. It was rather grand, with a high ceiling painted with beautiful depictions of heavenly bodies posing in vaguely erotic way. A grandiose chandelier hung in the centre of the ceiling, its glimmering crystal bulbs spreading light into every corner. The reception was placed underneath the chandelier. The desk was a dark mahogany wood, with the edges covered in a gold trim. It aided the grand appearance of the lobby. Of course, Tina knew that the lobby was a simple act to draw in customers. The apartments themselves were nothing special. They were bland and regular. Not below par by any means, but they couldn’t match the grandeur the lobby portrayed.

Tina followed Jacob into one of the elevators. They were the first sign that the lobby was a façade. They were grimy, and the gold trim the buttons used to have were heavily faded, revealing the dull bronze beneath. Jacob pressed the button for floor 7, where his apartment is located. The elevator trundled upwards, the loud noises of movement preventing any chance of conversation. Tina kept her eye on the floor indicator as it slowly clicked forwards as each floor was passed. It wasn’t long before the arrow ticked onto floor 7 with a loud dinging noise. The elevator doors scraped open and the two stepped out. Tina gave a disapproving look backwards at the elevator they just left.

‘Merlin’s beard, I hate that thing.’ she said.

‘Whenever I’m in it, I feel like it might just break. Maybe we should start taking the stairs.’ Jacob replied.

‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves Jacob. It’s not broken yet.’ Tina said with a laugh.

They reached the door to Jacob’s apartment. Jacob jerked his key around in the rusted keyhole until there was an audible click. He shoved open the door with a loud creak and Tina followed him in. Jacob’s apartment consisted of four rooms. There was the master bedroom, to the right of the front door. Tina never went in there, as it was where Jacob slept. To the left was Tina’s room, which was never intended to be a bedroom, but Jacob had repurposed it for her. She didn’t have much room to move around in there, but it suited its purpose as a place for Tina to sleep. There was a small bathroom in the back-left corner. The main room the two roommates had just entered was where they spent most of their time. This area of the apartment was the most spacious. Near the back window was a small and self-contained kitchen unit. It was rarely used and almost spotless, as the majority of food was cooked by Tina with magic. The main living area was what the front door opened directly into. Before she had moved in, Tina knew Jacob kept it light and simple. Tina had introduced more furniture into the room and gave it a homely feel. She kept the room focused around the large hearth on the right wall.

‘Why is this apartment always so damn cold?’ Jacob complained.

‘Let me fix that.’ Tina said, pulling her wand out of her pocket. ‘ _Incendio_.’

Upon the utterance of the spell, the hearth erupted into flame. Tina waved her wand and slammed the hearth door closed to keep the fire contained inside. An almost instantaneous difference in the room temperature was noticeable. It became warm enough for Tina to need to take off her leather overcoat.

‘I’ll get dinner started.’ Tina said.

Jacob gave her a quick look of recognition and went into his room. His door closed as Tina began preparing the evening’s meal. A quick flick of her wand opened the kitchen cabinets. She lazily twirled her wand, causing two plates and two sets of utensils to come flying out of the cabinet. They danced through the air with Tina’s direction before settling on opposite sides of the table.

Tina turned her focus to the meal. Directing the kitchen like a conductor, she used her wand to assemble the required ingredients for a simple ham dish. The potatoes were topped with cheese and baked beside her head. The ham chunk was quickly sliced into thin pieces and thoroughly cooked without Tina having to even touch it. She directed the finished foods over her head with a quick flick of the wrist and divided them evenly between the two plates. She then pointed her wand at the tap and dragged her wrist back, pulling out two large bubbles of water. Holding these in the air with her magic, Tina twirled and flicked her wand, sending carrots and peas flying into the water bubbles. Once all the carrots and peas were floating in their respective water bubbles, Tina cast a water-heating charm, boiling the water. The vegetables now cooked, she pulled them out of the water bubbles and placed them on her and Jacob’s plates. She disposed of the water by floating the bubbles over the sink and releasing them from her spell.

‘Jacob! Dinner’s finished and hot!’ Tina called.

‘I’m coming!’ Jacob called back.

Tina watched as Jacob’s door opened. Jacob had changed into casual attire. A sleek linen shirt with comfortable looking pants. As he walked towards the dinner table, he stopped. Tina watched as he bent down to pick something up. She decided it would be best if she sat down and waited so she pulled her seat back and dropped herself onto the seat. She was simply happy to be off her feet. Standing in a bakery all day was uncomfortable and she couldn’t use magic to make that job easier.

‘Hey, we got a letter of some kind – though it doesn’t say who it’s from on the envelope.’ Jacob said, finally standing up.

‘How about you bring it to the table and we read it over dinner?’ Tina said, coaxing Jacob to the table. He walked over and sat on his side.

‘Letter aside, this smells great Tina.’ Jacob said warmly.

‘When does it not?’ Tina replied.

Tina began digging into her meal as Jacob fiddled with the envelope. As it always was, the temperature of the prepared food was perfect. Her mouth filled with a delicious warmth, followed quickly by the burst of flavour invading her taste buds. The simply delectable flavour ran through her mouth, and she felt the corners of her lips curl upwards in an unprovoked smile. Tina attributed the amazing taste to magic; she was certain she couldn’t produce anything similar with physical cooking.

‘Tina!’ Jacob shouted.

‘I’m right here Jacob, you don’t need to yell.’ Tina said. ‘What is it?’

‘This letter is from Newt.’ Jacob said, rather excitedly.

Tina’s heart fluttered. Newt had stayed with Dumbledore at Hogwarts after the events in Paris. She had kept some letter correspondence with him, but that had stopped about two weeks ago. She desperately missed him, and she knew Jacob did too. Newt was his closest friend in the magic world. He had shown him friendship where even she had shown slight disdain. As for Tina, her feelings for Newt ran deeper than friendship. The issue with his mistaken engagement to Leta had been resolved, and he had been the reason Tina broke it off with Achilles. And she knew they found comfort in each other. Grindelwald had killed Leta, and with Queenie joining him, they had both lost someone in Paris. Emotionally, they had been wrecks, with the only thing keeping them tethered to the edge instead of falling off being each other.

‘Let me read it.’ Tina said.

‘Alright. You’re going to like what it says.’ Jacob said, handing the letter across the table. Tina gently took it out of his hand, opening it up. Jacob finally started eating the dinner Tina had made as she began reading.

_Dear Tina and Jacob,_

_I’m deeply sorry for my lack of communication in recent weeks._

_Dumbledore’s had Theseus and I working non-stop to help him break this blood pact._

_We haven’t had any success yet, but Dumbledore is finally letting me leave Hogwarts, however_

_briefly. I’ve decided to come visit you both in New York. I’ll hopefully be arriving about a week from_

_this letter being delivered (if it’s on time; we know how untrustworthy mail is)._

_I’ll be arriving at the same port I said goodbye to you at, Tina._

_I’m looking forward to seeing you both again,_

_Newt_

 

Tina gave a deep sigh. Her stomach was filled with butterflies. It felt like the butterflies were racing to be the first to push out of her, making her feel like she might explode out of happiness. She tried to calm herself down, but she could tell it wasn’t working. Heat rushed to her cheeks, giving her face a deep red blush. She put the letter down, her face in a wide smile.

‘He’s coming back.’ Tina said, barely containing her excitement.

‘I know. It’ll be good to see that maniac again.’ Jacob said, also looking rather happy.

‘I don’t know if I can wait a week.’

‘You don’t have to.’

‘What?’ Tina said, confused at what Jacob could mean.

Jacob flashed Tina a cheeky smile and explained.

‘The letter says he’s arriving a week from when the letter should arrive. I looked at when it was sent on the envelope. If the postal service had been on time, it should’ve arrived five days ago.’

‘Wait – he’s going to arrive in two days?’

‘That is exactly the case.’

Tina couldn’t help but let out a joyous laugh. It wouldn’t have been disastrous to wait a week to see Newt, but now it was only forty-eight hours until he arrived. Thoughts raced through her mind at breakneck pace, as she wondered how she would greet him.

‘Tina, you’re spacing out on me here.’

Jacob’s voice yanked Tina back into reality. Once she had refocused, she saw Jacob looking at her with a bemused expression. She gave him a scathing look. He quickly ducked his head and continued eating his dinner. Tina followed suit but couldn’t stop herself from giving the open letter a quick glance every few minutes.

Once dinner was finished, the two of them sat by the fire with hot tea. It was another moment of quiet reflection in their day. This time, Tina kept thinking about what Jacob had asked her. Queenie was a sweet girl. She didn’t join Grindelwald out of hatred or spite. She had loved Jacob, and Tina hadn’t shown her any support. Newt’s engagement debacle had made her grumpy and unhelpful, and she had pushed Queenie away.

‘I think she does reflect on her choice, like we reflect on ours here.’

Jacob looked at her, with a look of bewilderment imprinted on his face.

‘You asked me earlier if Queenie thinks about her choice. I think she does. Her choice was motivated by love, yet you chose the other side. She loves you Jacob, how could she not have doubts?’

Jacob’s eyes glinted in the fire’s light as they gained a wet glaze. He pulled out a white handkerchief and loudly blew into it, whilst dabbing at his eyes. He looked at Tina, with both gratitude and sadness emanating from his soul.

‘Thanks Tina. I appreciate it.’ Jacob said, his voice breaking slightly.

‘I know Queenie enough to know she will be evaluating her choices.’ Tina said. She got up out of her chair, holding her empty mug. Seeing that Jacob had finished his tea as well, she grabbed his mug. She moved to the kitchen and placed them in the sink.

‘I’m going to head to bed. I trust that you can take care of cleaning up?’ Tina said.

Jacob gave an approving grunt. Tina left him to it, entering her small room. She squeezed her way between her bed and the wall to reach the small dresser where she stored her clothes. Her neatly folded pyjamas were on top of the pile. She pulled them out and placed them on her small bed. There wasn’t much variety or colour in Tina’s wardrobe choices, and the pyjamas reflected that. Bright colours were always something Tina thought suited Queenie more, but recently she was getting tired with her dull greys and whites.

Disregarding her fashion qualms, Tina changed into her pyjamas. The bedsheets were tightly tucked, but she managed to pull them out. Unlike the living area, her bed was cool to the touch, having lacked the benefit of a raging flame to warm it. Goosebumps rippled along her body. She gritted her teeth and whipped the covers over her. She placed her head on the soft pillow and just closed her eyes. She lay still as stone, but sleep was not coming to her. Thoughts of Newt’s return buzzed around her skull, stimulating her mind. A quick giggle escaped her lips. Her eyes locked on the ceiling, Tina gave up on trying to sleep. Newt was on her mind, and she let herself focus on it.

Tina obviously managed to fall asleep at some point during the night, as she was woken by loud knocks on her door.

‘Tina, you’ve slept in! You have half an hour to get ready!’

Tina shot out of the sheets like a rocket. There was a loud thud as she pulled her drawer out faster than necessary, causing it to hit the floor. She pulled her baker’s clothes out and changed into them with breakneck pace. Grabbing her wand, she gave herself a magical once over. A quick glance in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, Tina rushed out of the bedroom door.

‘Sorry Jacob! I think I got to sleep a little late.’ she said, rather apologetically.

‘You went to bed well before I did. How did you get to sleep late?’

Rather than answering, Tina gave Jacob a sheepish look. The look Jacob gave her back was one full of jaded understanding. He opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. Tina caught the hint and exited the apartment. She heard Jacob lock the apartment behind them.

The morning walk to the bakery was the most pleasant it had ever been. Tina found herself hopping about, happily greeting onlookers. Her mood even seemed to cheer Jacob up. Soon they were both whistling down the street together.

As always, they were the first to arrive at the bakery. Jacob opened it up, and Tina entered. The faint scent of yesterday’s goods still lingered around the store. Tina took a large sniff to take in the pleasant smell, then hung her coat up in the back room and placed on her apron on.

‘Hey Tina, no one’s here yet, could you light that fire up?’ Jacob called from the front.

‘Yes, I can. Incendio.’ Tina said, pointing her wand at the oven. It immediately ignited into orange flame. Tina placed her wand back into her pocket as some more of the bakery workers entered. Tina nodded in greeting to her fellow workers and started on the tasks of preparing the goods to be baked.

The thought that Newt would be arriving in two days carried Tina through the day. Before she felt like she had started, it was time to lock up the store and head home. Even the time back at the apartment seemed to be faster than normal. Dinner was served and eaten. Tea was sipped, and goodnights were said.

The next day went even faster. By the time Tina had tucked herself into bed that evening, she barely remembered doing anything. The whole workday at the bakery had been a breeze, with Tina focusing almost entirely on the fact that Newt was arriving the next day. Even Jacob had commented that it didn’t feel like it was night-time before heading into his room. Tina stopped thinking about it and tried to go to sleep instead. She didn’t want to wake up late tomorrow morning.

The next morning, Tina woke up especially early. Quickly getting changed into black pants and a light shirt, she exited her room. Entering the main living area, Tina smelt the delectable aroma of freshly baked cakes and pies dance into her nostrils. Following the smell to the kitchen, she was rather surprised to see that Jacob was also up and ready to go as well.

‘You’re up early.’ Tina said.

‘I could say the same to you. I had to make some calls to make sure that the bakery could still run smoothly without me babysitting everyone.’

‘And because you can’t wait to see Newt again?’

‘Well, yes. He’s my friend too!’

Tina gave her happiest laugh and felt happy enough to match it.

‘I’ll make us some breakfast.’

Jacob stopped her from entering the kitchen by standing in the doorway. Tina opened her mouth to ask what he was doing but he placed a finger on her lips, making a hushing sound.

‘I’m making some baked food for Newt. I’ll set aside a couple for our breakfast. Would you mind giving the apartment a clean instead? This mess won’t do for Newt.’

‘This mess is all your doing.’ Tina said disapprovingly, giving Jacob a look that could kill summer flowers faster than a cold snap. Jacob held his hands up apologetically, with a smile escaping past his façade of a sombre demeanour.

‘Yeah, and I’m making up for my mess by cooking breakfast. I don’t make the rules. Do your part Tina.’

Tina rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, then gifted Jacob with a smile full of cheek. She went back into her room and grabbed her wand from her dresser. Entering once again into the lounge, she began waving her wand about.

‘ _Scourgify_.’ she said, pointing her wand at particularly dirty parts of the room. The crumbs and dust that covered much of their furniture disappeared. Tina waved her wand around some more, and some clothes and dirty dishes flew up from their sitting places.

‘ _Tergeo_.’ Tina said, and the clothes and dishes were cleaned. She then motioned her wand in a circle around her head and the clothes and dishes entered their respective cupboards.

‘It’s all clean. Do you want any help with breakfast?’ Tina asked, turning to face Jacob.

‘No thank you. I’d like to make these without magic.’ Jacob replied, putting heavy emphasis on the word without. Realising he neither wanted nor needed her help, Tina sat down on one of the newly cleaned couches.

‘ _Accio_.’ She said, her wand pointed at the open door to her room. Her copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ came flying into her hands. She opened it to a random page and began to read to pass the time until Jacob was finished.

Tina was engrossed in a rather fascinating section on the three heads of the Runespoor when Jacob finally placed a plate on the armchair beside her. Putting the book down, she looked at what Jacob had prepared. Sat on a small china plate was a steaming, beautiful golden pastry. Tina couldn’t help but gawk at the masterful creation.

‘It’s just a simple pie. I didn’t know exactly what Newt would like.’ Jacob said.

‘It’s anything but simple! This is amazing. How long did these take you?’ Tina said, the awe quite audible in her voice.

‘Oh, about two or so hours. Now hurry up, we’re on a schedule.’

Tina was reluctant to take a bite and ruin the artisan pie Jacob had created, but her stomach disagreed. Taking a huge bite, she was delighted and surprised that it tasted even better than it looked. As the taste rolled over her tongue, she felt as if thousands of fireworks were exploding in different areas of her mouth, creating an amazing sensation. After she had finished her first bite, Tina made quick work of the rest of the pie.

Finished, she took her plate to the kitchen and cast Tergeo on it to clean it. As she put it back away, Jacob exited his room, dressed in a well-fitted grey suit. He walked over to the coat rack they had and grabbed his coat.

‘I’m thinking it’s time we left, don’t you think?’ he said.

‘Let’s get going then.’ Tina answered.

She walked over and grabbed her long leather coat from the rack as well. Tina left the apartment first, and Jacob locked the door behind them. Tina glanced around the hall, and upon confirming that they were alone, grabbed Jacob.

‘What are you-‘ Tina disapparated the two of them out of the building before Jacob could finish his sentence. They apparated in a small alcove just outside the port where Newt would be arriving.

‘Sorry Jacob. I thought it would be easier to do this rather than walk the whole way.’ Tina said.

‘No, it’s alright. Just – just warn me next time.’

They stepped out of the alcove and onto the street. As they walked the short distance to the port, Tina started to think about what she should say to Newt. Unfortunately, she had no idea which direction to go with that conversation. Hoping that Jacob might have an idea, she stopped him at the entrance.

‘Seriously Tina? What is it now?’ Jacob asked.

‘I- I don’t know what to say to him – Newt that is.’

Jacob let out a laugh and gave Tina a look that exuded both sympathy and a level of amusement.

‘Y’know, Newt asked something very similar before we went to Paris. I think it would be best if I gave you the same advice I gave him. You have to speak from the heart Tina. Tell him what you’ve wanted to tell him since he left a month ago. Don’t let your mind speak for you. It’s all in the heart.’

Tina was taken aback by Jacob’s advice. It came from a place of wisdom that was well beyond his years. In his tone she could also hear a tinge of pain, coming from a tune of deep sorrow in Jacob’s soul.

‘Thank you, Jacob. That – that really is some advice.’ Tina said.

‘It’s just what I should have told Queenie in that tomb. She might be with us now if I had.’

Tina now understood why Jacob was feeling melancholy. She placed a hand on his shoulder, as a gesture of support. Jacob patted her hand in gratitude before shaking it off and turning to face Tina.

‘Let’s get in there, Newt’s probably wondering where the hell we are.’

Jacob led the way into the port, Tina in step behind him. Tina was trying her hardest not to walk into someone in the tightly packed port area when she felt pain jolt from her right side. Assuming she had failed in avoiding people, she kept walking. Again, she felt a jolt of pain, sharper this time. She glanced up to realise that it was Jacob jabbing his elbow into her.

‘Mercy Lewis Jacob, would you st-‘

‘It’s Newt. He’s right there! HEY! NEWT BUDDY! OVER HERE!’ Jacob shouted over the hustle and bustle of the busy port.

Tina peered over the heads of the crowd to look in the direction Jacob was yelling. Sure enough, there Newt stood, peering back into the crowd, following Jacob’s voice. He was wearing the long scruffy blue overcoat Tina had become accustomed to seeing and by his side was the infamous suitcase full of his beloved beasts. Tina let out a small giggle seeing that Newt’s ginger hair was still a complete mess. It still flopped down over his face, an unkempt mess unleashed. As she looked at him, he caught her gaze. Tina’s heart jumped, and she felt a rush of heat into her cheeks. She quickly pulled the collar of her coat up to hide the beetroot colour her face was likely going. Having seen her, Newt began working his way through the crowd to where she and Jacob stood.

Tina noted Newt’s awkward shuffle as he slowly found a solution to the maze of people between him and where her and Jacob were. Politely squeezing his way past a married couple, Newt finally reached them.

‘Newt! How have you been, you maniac?’ Jacob said, pulling Newt into a hug.

‘Oh, hello Jacob. I’ve been busy mostly – but I’m still well.’ Newt said.

Jacob released Newt from the hug and lightly pushed him in Tina’s direction. Tina and Newt both opened their mouth to say something, but then both stopped to let the other talk. Tina gestured for Newt to go first.

‘Hi Tina. I really - I mean, I have something here for you.’ Newt said, digging into his coat pocket. ‘It’s that copy of my book I was meant to deliver to you.’

Newt pulled out a copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and held it out. Tina took it from his hands. She felt a wet feeling in the corners of her eyes. One tear then rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve and hoped Newt hadn’t seen it.

‘Thank you, it’s lovely.’ Tina said, choking on her words.

Tina just looked Newt, and he looked back. Their eyes locked and Tina could tell that there was something hiding in his eyes. He was hiding something. Newt noticed Tina’s silent interrogation and broke eye contact.

‘Ok, can we please get out of this port? It’s going to give me claustrophobia.’ Jacob said.

‘Uh, yes. Do you have a place I can stay for the evening? I, uh, forgot to book a hotel or anything.’ Newt said.

Tina grabbed both Newt and Jacob and took them to the alcove from earlier.

‘You can stay in Jacob’s apartment.’ She said, before disapparating the three of them back to apartment complex.


	2. The Golden Runespoor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt's in America to investigate an ancient artefact that Grindelwald may be interested in.
> 
> He doesn't want Tina and Jacob to join him, but they're hard to convince.

 Newt

 

Newt was pleasantly surprised at Jacob’s new apartment. The last time he had been in New York, Jacob had been living in a room large enough for a bed and a dresser. Now he had an apartment with several rooms and plenty of space.

Newt completely entered the apartment, and Jacob closed the door after Tina came through. Newt stood awkwardly in the centre of the room, unsure of what he should do. Tina must’ve seen this, as she motioned for him to sit down on one of the couches that surrounded the hearth. Jacob gave him a plate with a selection of delicious pastries as he sat.

‘Did you make these?’ Newt asked Jacob, motioning at the pastries.

‘Yes. I didn’t know what flavour you liked best, so I made quite a few.’

‘I’m not particularly fussy, I’m sure they are all very nice.’

Jacob and Tina both sat on other couches. Tina pulled hers around to face Newt. The trio ate in silence for a few minutes, before Newt felt like he should break the silence.

‘Did both my letters arrive on time?’ he said.

Newt was taken aback by the confused glance that Jacob and Tina shared. They looked like they had no idea what he meant. Tina looked back at him.

‘You sent… two letters?’

Newt hadn’t been expecting that question. He certainly remembered sending two.

‘Yes! I sent one to Jacob, and one to your apartment Tina.’

Newt was heartened by the looks of realisation on his friends’ faces.

‘I didn’t get your letter because I’m living in Jacob’s apartment. My room’s through there.’ Tina said, pointing at a door.

‘You two are living together?’

Jacob and Tina nodded. Newt thought about prying further but caught himself before he did. He suspected it had something to do with Queenie leaving. Tina probably didn’t want to keep living in an apartment filled with memories of her sister. Newt knew that his brother Theseus had reacted similarly after losing Leta. He was now living in Hogwarts and had sold his old house. Loss could poison even the happiest memories; there was no reason for Newt to dredge it all up again.

‘That would explain why you only got one of my letters.’ Newt said with a small smile.

Newt looked at his friends with sadness weighing down on his heart. He was in New York for a far shorter time than he had expressed in his letters. He didn’t know how he was going to tell them. He had really wanted to see them again before doing further work for Dumbledore, but now he was wondering if that had been a smart idea. Tina and Jacob wanted to spend more than an evening’s time with him. He should’ve waited until his work was finished, instead of selfishly seeing them now for his benefit.

Tina gave him a strange look with her head tilted. Newt quickly glanced down at his plate, hoping she wouldn’t notice the guilt in his eyes.

‘Newt, what are you hiding from us?’ Tina asked.

Newt shot up. He hadn’t expected her to catch on to the fact that something was off so quickly. Even Jacob was now giving Newt a suspicious look. Newt was aware that he was gulping like a fish, but he was at a brief loss for words.

‘It’s in your eyes. That’s how I know you’re not telling us something.’ Tina said, which explained to Newt how she saw right through his façade.

‘Uh, yes. I’m not actually here to see you two – not that it’s unpleasant! Dumbledore wanted me to investigate rumours of an ancient magical artefact in the Mojave that Grindelwald may be interested in. You two were my cover story, should one of Grindelwald’s followers intercept my mail or something along those lines.’

‘When do you leave?’ Jacob asked incredulously.

‘Very early tomorrow morning. I’m so sorry, I should’ve found a different cover.’

‘Don’t be sorry Newt.’ Tina said, getting up from her seat and going to the kitchen. ‘We’ll come with you – and don’t argue. You don’t get a say in this.’

‘Tina, you shouldn’t- ‘

‘She’s right Newt, we are both coming with you.’ Jacob interrupted, following Tina to the kitchen.

Newt stayed in his seat, baffled at what had just occurred. His plan had been to sneak out in the morning and leave a note. But now his friends had volunteered to come along. He trusted them with his life, but he didn’t know if he should let them come along. The reports that Theseus had passed on to him and Dumbledore had detailed some extremely violent acts Grindelwald’s supporters had been perpetrating. If one of his friends got hurt on this mission he would be devastated. Newt again cursed his inability to wait to see Tina and Jacob.

Jacob came back and placed some blankets next to where Newt was sitting.

‘You’ll have to sleep on the couch. We don’t have any spare rooms.’

‘That’s alright. I’m, uh, sorry to be such a bother.’

Jacob gave Newt a quizzical look, as if what he had said made no sense. Before Newt could think of something to respond with, Jacob grabbed his dirty plate and walked away again. Newt felt like he should be doing something more than sitting on Jacob’s couch twiddling his thumbs, but neither of his hosts had asked for help with anything. Tina walked by him to the door of her room. He watched as she paused at the door.

‘What time exactly are we leaving in the morning?’ she asked, turning to face Newt.

‘Dumbledore said my transport would be ready at 3.30.’ Newt replied.

Tina nodded and entered her room, presumably to pack for the trip. Jacob finished with what he was doing in the kitchen and entered his room. Newt felt a sense of guilt wash over him. The time that he was truly leaving was 2.45 in the morning. He placed his head into his calloused hands and let out a deep sigh. There was still an entire day to spend with Tina and Jacob. He would have to maintain the lie and then leave them both behind without a goodbye.

Spending the day with Tina and Jacob turned out to be easier than Newt had thought. Once they had both packed, Jacob had returned to the bakery to see how things were going and ended up staying there for the rest of the day. Tina and Newt had entered Newt’s case to look after the few magical beasts he still had with him. He had told Tina that he had left most of his magical beasts in the care of Bunty in his basement back in England. The niffler had been fed and the swooping evil given a period of exercise. Pickett, Newt’s bowtruckle, had been especially pleased to see Tina again, spending most of the time sitting on her shoulder. The day had been pleasant. Newt was happy to see Tina with a wide smile on her face, although she had been apprehensive of the Wampus cat Newt was keeping in his case, until he assured her that it wasn’t going to hurt her. He had picked it up from a circus earlier in the year, where they had been abusing it.

By now, it was late in the evening, and Jacob had returned after closing the bakery. Tina was playing with Pickett at the dining table, while Newt sat writing notes on the Wampus cat’s progression since he freed it. Jacob placed his suitcase down and went to the kitchen. He came back to Newt with some pies he had placed on a plate.

‘They should probably be eaten before we leave.’

Once everyone had had something to eat, Tina came up to Newt and placed Pickett on his shoulder.

‘I think we should all get an early night of sleep. We have to get up pretty early in the morning.’ she said.

Newt and Jacob both agreed. Jacob said his goodnights and went into his room. To Newt’s eyes, he looked like he needed the most sleep, having spent the day working. Tina went to her room but paused in the doorway.

‘It’s been good to see you again Newt.’ she said. She then entered her room and closed the door.

Newt’s heart fluttered, and he felt his cheeks flush with heat. As much as he felt guilty for what he was doing, it had been wonderful to see his friends again, especially Tina. They had left things in a weird place in Paris. He knew he needed to admit how he felt to her, but he had no experience in how he should do it. Letting out a sigh of resignation, he placed Pickett and his Wampus notes into his case. He pulled the blankets that Jacob had kindly lent him over his body, and after casting an alarm spell to wake him up on time, he drifted off into sleep.

Newt awoke to a quiet buzzing in his ear. He waved his wand to silence the alarm spell and threw the blankets off him. Still dressed in the attire he arrived in New York wearing, he grabbed his case and quietly went to leave. Reaching the door, he grabbed the doorknob to open it. Suddenly, a loud screech filled Jacob’s apartment. Newt jumped backwards in fright as the apartment walls reverberated the sound. Despite the noise, Newt heard Tina’s door open. Turning to face her, he was shocked to see her pointing her wand at him.

‘ _Petrificus Totalus!_ ’ Newt heard her yell as a bright flash appeared from the end of her wand. Newt felt his arms and legs lock together as his body froze and fell to the floor. He tried to struggle but his body wouldn’t respond to anything. Tina waved her wand in the air and the screeching sound stopped. Newt heard what he assumed was Jacob exiting his room as well.

Tina stood over him, a look of disappointment on her face.

‘Leaving already, Mr Scamander?’

Newt tried to respond but the curse had locked his lips together as well. Jacob appeared in his limited field of view.

‘Tina thought you might try and sneak out, so she placed some kind of intruder charm on the door. It seems she was right to do so.’ he said.

Tina pointed her wand at Newt again.

‘ _Finite._ ’

Newt felt his body relax as the curse was removed. He quickly got up. He kept his head bowed, unable to make eye contact with his friends.

‘Seriously Newt, we’re coming with you. No matter how dangerous.’ Jacob said.

Newt glanced up, expecting to see anger on the faces of his friends. Instead, Tina and Jacob’s faces displayed a deep level of compassion and determination.

‘We’re a team. These are things we do together, like in Paris and this city. What’s the point in endangering yourself to keep us safe?’ Tina said.

Newt realised that she was right. He had been so focused on trying to keep his friends safe he hadn’t thought about himself. He wasn’t an Auror or a master wizard. His successes had always come with the help of friends and this time wasn’t going to be any different.

‘Alright. Then let’s go.’ he said.

Tina and Jacob beamed a smile at Newt and each other. Tina waved her wand and summoned their suitcases. It was now Newt realised that they were both dressed and ready like he was. He suspected that events had transpired in exactly the manner they had predicted.

Sure enough, the transport that Dumbledore had promised Newt was waiting for the three of them just outside the apartment complex. A black carriage with four wheels waited for them. Two wizards sat at the reins. In front of them were six Thestrals, paired in twos. Despite the darkness, the fleshless bodies of the Thestrals glistened in the moonlight with their glossy and translucent skin. The large and leathery wings the Thestrals were infamous for were folded into their backs. Newt noticed a rather horrified look on Jacob’s face.

‘Jacob, these are Thestrals. They’re a type of carnivorous horse – not that they’re going to hurt you. What makes them especially fascinating is that they can only be seen by people that have witnessed and accepted death. Of course, that made them seem like symbols of ill omen. But they are rather good for transportation, especially as the average muggle hasn’t witnessed death.’

Jacob stuttered, before shaking his head and opening the carriage door. He was the first to enter the carriage, with Tina and Newt following. One of the wizards at the reins slammed the door closed and the Thestrals took flight into the sky. The carriage lurched up until the Thestrals reached the right height, upon which the carriage steadied out.

‘Newt, who exactly is providing the transport?’ Tina asked.

Before Newt could provide an answer, a wizard apparated in the seat in front of the trio. Tina let out a gasp when it was Seraphina Picquery, President of MACUSA. Newt saw Jacob lean down into a hunched position, giving him a less prominent position.

‘This is who’s providing the transport.’ Newt said.

Seraphina gave the trio a curious look, then let a smile sneak onto her face.

‘Albus told me that you would be alone, Mr Scamander. That doesn’t appear to be the case.’

‘Um, yes. Tina – I mean, Miss Goldstein – and Mr Kowalski here are both rather persistent.’

Madam Picquery let out a rare laugh.

‘That I know. Miss Goldstein was adamant your no-maj friend not be obliviated. And then she goes fraternising with no-majs by getting a job at a bakery, flouting Rappaport’s Law. All while still technically being employed as an Auror.’

Tina gave an offended look and opened her mouth to say something. Madam Picquery held her hand up to silence her, and Tina closed her mouth again.

‘It’s alright Miss Goldstein. I’ve had Aurors monitoring your every move at the bakery. Nothing you’ve done has threatened the Statute of Secrecy.’

Tina’s expression changed to visible relief. Newt shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the fact that the President of MACUSA was sitting across from him, making jokes.

‘Madam Picquery, why are you here with us?’ Newt asked.

Madam Picquery adopted a more serious demeanour, a frown appearing on her forehead.

‘It is worrying to both myself and MACUSA that Grindelwald has again taken interest in the magical community in the United States. I have come to request two things: firstly, a report of what you find. I know you are working with Albus, but if America is threatened, it is my business. Secondly, if Grindelwald is there, and you get the opportunity, you must kill him. That monster cannot be allowed to continue to cause the trouble and distress that has plagued our magical communities.’

Newt and his two friends shared foreboding glances at Madam Picquery’s words. Her tone had been gravely serious. Newt could certainly provide a report on the events that may occur, but he was unsure if he, or either of his friends, could bring themselves to execution. He turned to see Tina looking at him expectantly for an answer to Madam Picquery’s requests.

‘We’ll see Madam Picquery. We aren’t executioners.’ Newt said.

‘In dark times like these, you may have to be.’ Madam Picquery said solemnly, before disapparating out of the carriage.

The rest of the journey was completed in silence. Newt sat reflecting on what Madam Picquery had requested. Grindelwald was one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time. He had to be stopped. But killing him was something Newt did not feel comfortable doing. Not because he felt sympathy for Grindelwald. After Paris, Newt could quite easily say he hated Grindelwald. The issue was that killing was not in Newt’s soul. He doubted his friends could do it either. Jacob may have fought in the Great War, but he had suffered great losses and seemed unwilling to kill again. Tina was the one Newt felt would be the most likely to be able to do the deed, but it was still unlikely. She may be an Auror, but she had been the only Auror unwilling to kill Credence. Newt slumped into his seat. He hoped the burden of defeating Grindelwald would not fall onto his shoulders.

In what felt like a frighteningly brief amount of time, the carriage landed. The door was pulled open by one of the wizards on the outside, and he gestured for them to exit the carriage. As Newt left the carriage, he felt the oppressive heat of the Mojave weigh down on him. Tina and Jacob followed him out and were obviously affected by the heat as well. The wizards at the reins gave the Thestrals a whip, and took off again, giving Newt a nod as they left.

‘So, they’ve left us out in the middle of the Mojave. Do you have any idea where this supposed artefact is? Or are we going to burn to death? This is not how I would like to die.’ Jacob said.

‘No, no. Grindelwald’s followers likely got here first.’ Newt said, getting his wand out of his coat pocket. ‘ _Appare Vestigium._ ’

A gold dust shot out of the end of his wand and surrounded the trio. Newt began wandering around in the dust cloud, searching for any signs of another group in the area. He wasn’t having much luck when he heard Tina shout.

‘Newt! Look, here’s something.’

Newt hurried over to where Tina was looking. Sure enough, the golden dust was settling on a very clear set of footprints leading off in a southern direction. Newt followed these prints, the spell revealing each set as he walked. The other two walked behind him. Suddenly, the track of footprints stopped completely. Jacob became more agitated upon realising this.

‘Oh, great. Now the lead’s gone dry! How long before we go dry in this heat? They probably died in this godforsaken desert trying to find something that doesn’t exist. I have a bakery back home! Sometimes I wonder how I get myself-‘

‘ _Oscausi._ ’ Tina said, wand pointed at Jacob. The spell sealed Jacob’s mouth, shutting him up.

‘I think they found what they were looking for here. Something hidden.’ Newt said.

‘Magically hidden?’ Tina asked.

‘There’s only one way to find out.’ Newt replied, pointing his wand at the ground. ‘ _Revelio_.’

The ground around the trio began to shake violently. Large cracks in the earth appeared, and slowly widened with a loud screech. Newt pulled Jacob away from a particularly large crack that swiftly opened beneath him. They were running out of stable ground to stand on. The cracks in the earth met each other and formed a circle around the trio. They were left barely standing on a small area of ground in the centre. Newt thought about jumping into one of the cracks, as it may lead to the artefact. Before he could voice his idea, the ground beneath them fell through. Newt felt his back hit something solid, before beginning a fast slide down into the depths of the earth.

Newt hit a solid floor suddenly with a painful thud. Placing his head back on the sand, he heard sliding noises come from the tunnel he had just slid out of. He realised what this meant and quickly rolled to the side, grabbing his wand.

‘ _Arresto Momentum_!’ he yelled as Tina and Jacob fell out of the tunnel.

The spell slowed their fall to a snail pace. Newt guided them to the ground, and they both lay there for a second. Tina then pushed herself up, and helped Jacob to his feet. Jacob looked like he wanted to say something, but Tina’s silencing spell was still in effect. Newt flicked his wand, casting the counter-spell, allowing Jacob to talk.

‘Seriously, what the hell just happened?’

‘It would appear we opened some sort of ancient entrance and then fell quite far down.’ Newt replied calmly.

‘Look, there’s a lot of light shining through there.’ Tina said, pointing at a cragged hole in the wall.

Newt looked, and there was a large beam of cold light shining out. He walked over to the hole and peered through. He could see a huge cavern, spacious and wide. There was no sign of where the light source was, but he assumed this was down to the limited visibility. He waved his hand in a follow motion to Jacob and Tina and went through the hole. It was a tight fit but there was still enough space for him to crawl through. As he exited the hole he was amazed to see what the spacious cavern contained. Tina stood next to him in similar amazement. Even Jacob, who had crawled through with several grunts and complaints, silenced himself upon seeing what Newt and Tina were looking at.

In the cavern, looming over the trio despite their elevated position, was an enormous statue, made entirely of gold. The base was a large snake’s body curled around, which then moved into an upright position. The cavern’s light glinted off the body as the snake’s body went about 75 feet up. It then split in three different directions. All three offshoots continued the similar body shape before ending in large snake’s heads. The statue appeared to stand at about 100 feet in total. There was intricate detailing all over the statue. Even from the distance he was looking at the statue, Newt could clearly make out each individual scale on the snake, in full leathery definition. The teeth of the snake’s heads were chipped and blunted in places, but in a natural fashion, making it obvious that this was part of the design rather than age damage.

‘What is that thing?’ Jacob asked.

‘It looks like a rather large statue-‘ Newt started.

‘Of a golden Runespoor.’ Tina finished, smiling at Newt.

Newt felt himself blushing slightly, and he returned Tina’s smile with a small one of his own. He looked again at the magnificent statue. At its base, he saw movement. Taking a closer look, he realised that it was a person. He went to tell his friends but realised they had noticed as well.

‘Guys, there’s a staircase here.’ Jacob whispered.

Newt gestured for them to go down it. He put a finger to his lips to tell them to stay quiet. The trio slowly went down the stairs, trying not to alert the figure at the statue to their presence. They hadn’t been as elevated at Newt had thought, as the descent was quick. They sneaked closer to the figure. Newt realised it was a man. He had his back turned but was wearing a lengthy black coat and wide-brimmed hat. Peeking out from underneath the hat was very short blond hair. Newt slipped his wand out of his pocket, while Tina raised hers. They both stood up suddenly, wands aggressively pointed at the man.

‘Don’t move, whoever you are!’ Tina said.

The man slowly turned around. As his face was revealed, Newt was shocked to see it was the bounty hunter Gunnar Grimmson. As Grimmson realised who was pointing the wands at him, the ends of his lips curled into a cruel smile. Burning with a deep malice, Grimmson’s eyes pierced Newt’s own.

‘Well if it isn’t Mr Scamander.’ Grimmson said, spitting Newt’s name out like it was poison to his tongue.

‘Grimmson. What are you doing here? The Ministry doesn’t know about this place.’ Newt enquired.

‘Newt!’ Tina sharply whispered into Newt’s ear, a sense of urgency clear in her tone.

Newt looked at her. Tina used her eyes to convey that he should look around. He glanced to his sides. In the darkness, Newt could see the flitter of silhouettes around the edges of the cavern. He concluded that these were people, surrounding the trio. The realisation that these were Grindelwald’s acolytes dawned on him, with great horror. He swiftly turned back to Grimmson.

‘You’re not with the ministry at all! You’re one of Grindelwald’s fanatics!’ he said, the accusatory tone clear.

Grimmson let out a short laugh. It was completely devoid of any humour whatsoever, instead sounding like a short series of cruel and heartless noises.

‘I wouldn’t call us fanatics. Closer to revolutionaries.’ Grimmson said, his voice low and projecting danger into Newt’s heart.

Newt and Tina shared a brisk and worried look, before holding their wands up.

‘ _PROTEGO!_ ’ they both yelled.

A magical bubble formed around the three. It was just in time, as there was a red flash with a loud booming noise as a curse slammed into the side of their shield. It was followed by what seemed like hundreds of brightly coloured flashes peppered every side of their bubble. The loud bangs and booms of the acolyte’s curses and hexes against the shield charm rattled throughout the cavern, the sounds bouncing off the cavern walls in an echo. Despite the danger the dazzling lights represented, Newt couldn’t help but be reminded of some of the fireworks displays of his youth.

‘We have to get out of here!’ Tina yelled over the noise.

‘How do you suggest we do that? We’re surrounded by bad guys!’ Jacob yelled back.

Newt scanned the cavern, looking for some sort of exit point. He saw a small tunnel off to the side.

‘Tina, keep this shield charm up as long as you can.’

Tina nodded, the determination burning fierce in her eyes. Jacob just looked bewildered, having no idea what the plan was. Uncertain if his plan would work, Newt slowly lowered his wand, removing his contribution to the shield. The bubble shivered with the impact of the spells, no longer as powerful. Tina grabbed her wand with both hands, desperately trying to keep the shield charm active. Newt saw the pleading look in her eyes, urging him to hurry up. He took a deep breath, and roughly grabbed his two friends, disapparating immediately.

They apparated in the tunnel Newt had spotted, away from Grimmson and his cronies. Newt was relieved to see that both Jacob and Tina were unharmed. The echoes of Grimmson ordering his men to find the trio found their way down the tunnel to the ears of Newt.

‘We’ve got to find that artefact before Grimmson. It must be related to that golden Runespoor somehow.’ Newt said.

‘How are we going to get past the thugs?’ Tina asked.

‘I’ll think of something.’ Newt replied, rather unconvincingly.

‘Oh, great. A half-baked Scamander plan is exactly the solution we need.’ Jacob sarcastically stated, rolling his eyes. Tina quieted him with a sharp elbow to the ribs.

Footsteps became audible from down the tunnel. The three friends all closed their mouths immediately. Newt motioned for them to stand against the walls. Two long shadows projected from the light in the cavern slowly revealed themselves as the acolytes came closer. Newt raised his wand in readiness. The acolytes blindly wandered into view, wands lowered at their sides. Newt and Tina jumped out from the sides of the tunnel and blasted one apiece with a stunning spell. Their unconscious bodies hit the floor with a quiet thud.

Newt grabbed his case and hurried down the tunnel towards the cavern. Tina grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back.

‘What are you doing?’ she said in a sharp whisper.

‘I’ve got a plan.’

Tina released her grip on Newt’s shoulder. Newt continued his way down the tunnel and stopped, crouched at the entrance to the main cavern, looking at the base of the golden Runespoor. Tina and Jacob stopped beside him. Newt quickly placed his case on the ground and opened it up. He lightly whistled into its depths.

‘C’mon, here boy.’

Out of the case came the swooping evil. He held out his hand and it cocooned itself into it. He looked back and handed his case to Jacob.

‘When I say go, run. Jacob, keep an eye on that case for me please.’

Newt moved forward slightly, keeping his eyes locked on the statue’s base. Hiding behind a rock, he motioned for Tina and Jacob to follow him. They did so, creeping up beside him. Newt held his hand up, using his fingers as a five second. Five. Newt clutched the swooping evil in his hand. Four. He gave a sympathetic look to Jacob, who looked ever the worried fellow. Three. He felt Tina squeeze his hand, giving his heart a jump. Two. He took a deep breath. One.

‘Go!’ he yelled.

The three of them ran out into the cavern. They were immediately noticed by Grimmson and a few other acolytes that had stayed in the cavern. They launched curses in their direction, but Newt released the swooping evil. It sliced and twirled through the air, reflecting curses back at their casters. It took a particularly low dive over the head of Grimmson and two acolytes, knocking them to the floor. Newt and Tina aided the creature by firing off curses and hexes of their own, beating down several acolytes. In the corner of his eye, Newt saw – with great amusement – Jacob hitting an acolyte over the head with Newt’s case. He suddenly heard the swooping evil screech, warning him of a blasting curse heading right for him. Newt dove to the ground, the curse instead hitting the golden Runespoor statue.

The blasting curse left no sign of damage on the statue, to Newt’s surprise. Even more surprising was the cracking noise that loudly filled the cavern. The curses stopped flying, as everyone look at the large cracks starting to appear in the statue. Chunks began to break off the statue and fall to the ground. Newt ran over to Jacob and disapparated with him as golden chunks crashed to the floor where he had been standing. The swooping evil flew low by Tina and picked her up the shoulders, dragging her to where Newt apparated. Protected by a rocky outcrop, the trio watched as acolytes desperately tried to avoid falling chunks of gold. Several cast the blasting and redactor curses to destroy the gold, while others were not so fortunate, falling victim to crushing by gold. Newt was distracted from the sight by Jacob tapping him and Tina on their shoulders.

‘Uh, guys. You might want to look at that there statue.’

Newt and Tina did as Jacob said and looked. Newt was shocked to see that despite the gold falling of it, the statue was still there. In fact, it looked like a real Runespoor standing in the flesh, just with a more golden sheen than most. Newt cast that thought out of his head. Runespoors did not get to the size of 100 feet, nor could they live encased in gold. But everything Newt thought he knew was soon shattered, as the Runespoor began to wildly move and thrash to shake off the remaining gold chunks on its body. With a loud hiss that stabbed Newt with great fear, the Runespoor broke loose. It moved into the centre of the cavern and all three heads began hissing erratically.

‘What’s it doing?’ Tina asked Newt.

‘I think – and I could be wrong – it’s speaking in Parseltongue, like it’s trying to tell us something.’

‘Can you understand it?’

‘I can speak a little bit of Parseltongue. Taught myself during a field trip to Australia – but not nearly as well as someone who can speak it naturally.’

Newt closed his eyes and listened carefully to the hissing sounds the Runespoor heads were making. He was pleased to hear that the hisses began to form into words he could translate.

‘ _The wizards will pay for locking us in a statue! Kill them! Kill the little blood bags!_ ’ said what Newt assumed was the left head, known as the planner.

‘ _Once we escape this place, I foresee a world with no wizards, only our glory!_ ’ said another head. Newt guessed this to be the middle head, or the visionary.

‘ _These are not the same wizards! We have been locked up for many years. Perhaps we could try to talk to them_.’ said a third head. Newt put this down as the right head of the Runespoor, the critic. Its words were met with aggressive hissing from the other two.

Newt scuttled back to Jacob and Tina. The two heads that wanted revenge began attacking unfortunate acolytes that were within reach. Their screams pierced the air as they were consumed, their eerie cries matched only by the protesting hisses of the right head. Newt glanced backwards and saw a few wayward curses dissipate with no effect on the Runespoor’s tough hide before the caster was eaten.

‘It’s arguing with itself. It must’ve been imprisoned years ago by wizards. Two of the heads want revenge, while the other is trying to calm them down.’ he explained.

‘You have to talk to it before it kills everyone. You might be able to calm it down.’ Tina said.

Newt knew this was true, but fear lingered at the back of his mind. The Runespoor was larger than anything he’d ever seen. It was also angry and confused. Newt’s ability to speak Parseltongue was severely limited. He knew how to calm a normal Runespoor down, but this one was different to any he had seen before. He walked forward a few steps, but fear stopped him. He turned back and looked at his friends. Their eyes were full of fear as well, but there was another emotion flickering within. They had hope. Hope that Newt would talk to the Runespoor. Hope that he would calm it down, and they would be safe. Newt couldn’t let them down. He faced the Runespoor and walked into the cavern clearing. A new sense of determination burned inside, powering him forward, step by step.

‘ _Stop!_ ’ he said in Parseltongue.

All three heads stopped and turned their gaze on Newt. He could see the shock in all the heads’ eyes that someone was speaking their language. The left head descended itself closer to Newt, leering at him.

‘ _You speak the tongue of serpents, blood bag?_ ’ it asked with a rasping hiss.

‘ _Speak… little. Not… natural._ ’ Newt replied, with great difficulty.

The middle head hissed mockingly until the right head bit at it. The left head moved closer to Newt, the heat from its breath prickling at his skin, while the foul smell of its recent feast burnt up his nostrils.

‘ _Pathetic. You are arrogant to try, like all wizards! Now you will join your predecessors that locked us up in death!_ ’

The left head lunged at Newt, its mouth open, yellowy fangs dripping with the crimson blood of its previous victims. Newt managed to disapparate just before it bit down on him. Apparating in front of Tina and Jacob, he collapsed in a panting heap. He looked up at them, unable to speak, simply apologising with his eyes. They both looked back at him, their expressions not accusatory, but forgiving.

‘ _Come out little wizards! We can smell your fear!_ ’ Newt heard one of the heads loudly hiss.

More screams and shouts from acolytes echoed against the cold rock walls of the cavern. There was the occasional sound of an explosion as hapless wizards tried and failed to cast curses against the Runespoor. Newt knew he should do something, but couldn’t bring himself to stand up, instead sitting on the floor, defeated. The swooping evil came screeching down from the end of the tunnel.

‘Sounds like the only way out is through the Runespoor cavern.’ Tina said.

Newt gave a grunt of acknowledgement, having given up on hopes of getting past the Runespoor. Jacob just gave a sad moan, placing his head in his hands.

‘Newt, you have to try again.’ Tina said.

‘How? That Runespoor won’t listen to me. It’s hopeless.’

Tina hauled Newt up to his feet and placed a hand on each side of his face. Her face was lit up with a fierce expression, unwilling to give up.

‘Newton Artemis Fido Scamander. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never given up. You’ve always found a way to keep hope, to try and find good in even the cruellest of beings. That Runespoor was mistreated. It doesn’t understand the good in creatures because it has never been shown it. You can teach it Newt. You’ve never found a creature you couldn’t love.’

Before Newt could respond to Tina’s impassioned speech, she pulled Newt’s face in and kissed him. Newt briefly froze in shock, his heart beating harder and faster than it ever had before. But the shock wore off, and he finally released the pent-up emotions he had regarding Tina into an impassioned kiss. They slowly released their lips from each other, and Newt just gazed into her soft brown eyes, and she gazed back. They stood there for a few seconds before Tina released his face, and mouthed the word go at him. Empowered, Newt rushed off to confront the Runespoor again. He entered the cavern floor to see the Runespoor about to attack Grimmson.

 _‘Runespoor, talk please!’_ Newt hissed.

The three heads turned to look at him. The right head’s eyes displayed a delight to see him again, while the other two heads just looked angry.

‘ _The blood bag that thinks it can speak to us has returned!_ ’ the middle head hissed, the mocking tone obvious.

‘ _What do you want blood bag? You have a minute before I eat you._ ’ the left head hissed.

‘ _Want to… help. Understand… pain._ ’ Newt managed to say, hoping it was correct.

‘ _Understand our pain? How could you? The wizards said they would help us, then contained us in a statue. We wanted peace but were treated like a monster!_ ’ the left head hissed angrily.

Newt stammered. He didn’t know what to say. He thought of giving up, but Tina’s words flashed through his mind. This was another lost creature. It needed to be treated with love.

‘ _Want to… help. Will… protect you._ ’

The left and middle heads flashed their fangs aggressively. The middle head came down to Newt’s eye level.

‘ _That’s what the last wizards said to us, before they trapped us in gold. Wizards don’t want to help, only harm!_ ’

The middle head opened its mouth, preparing to bite down on Newt. Before it could kill him, the right head knocked it aside.

‘ _There is no malice in this wizard’s heart! Can’t you see? He wants to help!_ ’ it pleaded with the other two heads.

Unlike the other times the right head had spoken up, the other heads seemed to pause. Instead of reacting violently, they let out a soft, calm hiss. They peered at Newt, their eyes seeming to pierce his very soul.

‘ _You are right. This wizard is… unlike the others._ ’ the left head stated, slightly uncertain of his words. The middle head hissed in agreement. All three heads looked at Newt, vulnerable, expectant. Newt had gained their trust, now he needed to get them to safety.

‘ _I have case. You will be –‘_

Newt’s sentence was interrupted by a blasting curse striking the right head in the eyes. It screamed, before more curses came flying in from all sides, striking the heads before they could react. Newt heard someone cry out the killing curse. He tried to yell in protest, but it was too late. Killing curses struck the vulnerable heads, killing them one by one. The Runespoor toppled forward, crashing to the ground, completely lifeless. Newt looked around and saw Grimmson, standing triumphant on its corpse.

‘We’ll have to tell Grindelwald that the artefact was nothing but a giant Runespoor that wanted to kill wizards. Complete waste of time.’ Grimmson said to the surviving acolytes.

Newt felt rage burn in his heart as Tina and Jacob ran to his side. Tina placed a hand on his shoulder, but it did not calm him.

‘Grimmson! You had no right! That was a living creature that was scared and alone. You killed it, you soulless monster!’

Grimmson turned to look at the trio. His eyes still burnt with malice, but his expression was one of deep irritation. Newt knew he saw this trip as a waste of his talents.

‘Oh, do shut up Scamander.’

Grimmson waved his wand at the cavern ceiling, casting a series of blasting curses, causing chunks of the ceiling to begin falling on the trio. As they avoided the boulders, he and his acolytes disapparated.

The ceiling soon stopped dropping chunks of solid death on the trio, and they managed to exit the secret cavern through a series of steps near where they entered. Newt cast a special summoning charm to call their MACUSA transport back. It arrived shortly. Their journey back was once again in silence, as Newt brooded over the events that had occurred. Tina held his hand to comfort him the whole journey. 

Arriving back in New York, the trio was greeted at the apartment complex by Theseus (much to Newt’s surprise). His facial expression was one of great urgency.

‘Theseus? What are you doing here? There was no artefact, just an ancient Runespoor that his acolytes murdered.’ Newt said.

Theseus looked at Newt with an understanding sorrow.

‘I’m sorry to hear that, Newt. But I’m here because Grindelwald’s been spotted in Germany. Travers wants us to investigate.’ Theseus motioned to Tina and Jacob. ‘They’re welcome to come along. We’ll meet an Auror contingent there.’

Newt looked back at Tina and Jacob. They both gave a nod, assuring Newt they would come. Newt’s soul came alight with fierce determination. They had a chance to pay Grindelwald back for his crimes. To avenge those lost, like Leta, and the Runespoor his men had just killed.

‘Then let’s get going. It’s about time someone gave Grindelwald what he deserved.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE FIRST NEWTINA KISS HAS HAPPENED.  
> Also an actual Fantastic Beast for your enjoyment.
> 
> I'm looking to try and write a chapter a week, at least until Uni starts up.  
> Next one will be from Queenie's perspective in Grindelwald's lair.  
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queenie adapts to life in Nurmengard castle.
> 
> She also tries to comfort Credence.

Queenie

_‘Walk with me!’_

_‘You’re crazy!’_

_‘No! Queenie don’t do it!’_

_‘Queenie!’_

Queenie shot awake, her back rigidly upright. Sweat dripped heavy on her brow, droplets falling onto her sheets in splattered blotches. It had been one month since she had joined Grindelwald; one month since her night terrors had started. She could barely remember what a fulfilling sleep felt like. Her night terrors tormented her whenever she drifted into unconsciousness, filling her with fear. She grabbed her wand from her side table.

‘ _Lumos._ ’

The tip of her wand emitted a bright glow. The light allowed her to see the clock she kept on her side table. The hands showed that it was 5.45 am. Queenie let out a deep sigh. There was no point going back to sleep now. It would just be another hour of torture before waking up in another sweat. She whipped her covers off her and got out of her bed. She didn’t need to worry about waking anyone up, as she was one of the few who got a room to themselves in Nurmengard Castle. She counted this as a blessing, even if the reason was sour. She was certain she was in a room by herself because her ability as a _Legilimens_ scared the others. She chose not to be offended. She would only wake them up at awful hours every night.

She walked over to her window, waving her wand to pull open the curtains. The metal lock was cold to her touch as she twisted it, opening the window. White flecks of snow drifted in, settling on her. They swiftly melted into icy drips, causing Queenie to feel flashes of cold sensation over her face and arms. The freezing wind of the mountain whistled in through the open window, slicing through Queenie’s skin, chilling her to the bone. She ignored how cold it was and stared at the early morning horizon, slipping into her thoughts. Her mind drifted away from the castle to her apartment in New York. She wondered if Tina missed her, or if she’d disavowed Queenie. A pang of guilt struck Queenie’s heart. She didn’t know if she missed Tina. Some mornings she did, others she succumbed to bitterness. Tina hadn’t been there for her when she needed her sister the most, but she was still her sister.

The real conflict in Queenie’s mind wasn’t about Tina at all. It centred on Jacob Kowalski, the man she loved and the reason she had sided with Grindelwald in the first place. The man that hadn’t joined her. The pang of guilt erupted into a smothering feeling. The corners of her eyes began to water, so Queenie shoved her head out the window. The freezing air acted as a shock to her senses, stopping the watery eyes from becoming tears. The last month she had cried over every decision she had made to lead her to Grindelwald. And she was tired of it.

Calmed slightly, Queenie let her mind flicker back to Jacob. Had she made the right choice? She questioned herself every night. Grindelwald’s words had just seemed so appealing. They were exactly what she wanted to hear. Suspicious as that may seem, Grindelwald hadn’t exactly proven himself untrustworthy. In fact, he was one of the few people in this despairing castle who seemed to trust Queenie. He confided in her, much to the chagrin of the other acolytes. It may just be because she couldn’t read his mind. Grindelwald was a skilled _Occlumens_ , his mind closed to any intrusions she may want to attempt. But she wanted to believe that it was real trust.

Even if Grindelwald was perfectly trustworthy, that didn’t convince her that the choices she had made were right. As her night terrors reminded her every time she tried to sleep, Jacob had refused, quite vehemently, to join her at all. She could vividly remember the twisted look of horror and disbelief that had been imprinted on his face as she’d screamed at him to join her. Queenie’s spine coldly shivered, and it wasn’t because of the mountain wind. She glanced back at her clock. Two hours until breakfast. She was sure she had a dress to add finishing touches to. Something to busy her thoughts was needed.

 By the time breakfast had come along, Queenie had ripped apart three dresses and magically sewn the remains into one dress, just to distract herself. Now she dressed into practical dark robes and walked down to the castle’s communal area for breakfast. Grindelwald had insisted everyone eat their meals together, as some strange form of adult bonding. Queenie hated it. It reminded her far too much of her time at Ilvermorny, making her feel like a child. Even worse was the fact she could now read minds, and therefore could quite easily hear exactly how the other acolytes felt about her. It was not – and likely never would be – pleasant.

She was one of the last few to enter the communal area, judging by the hustle and bustle she found herself walking into. As usual, when people saw her enter, they turned their heads and started whispering and muttering to one another. Queenie did her best to block out what they were thinking as she looked for a place to sit. Peering through the crowd, ignoring the insulting thoughts of her comrades, she noticed a messy tuft of brown hair. Knowing exactly who it was, she went and sat down beside him, forcing another witch to move over. Queenie ignored the basilisk glare the witch gave her.

‘Mister Yatherly, fancy seeing you here.’ she said, putting on a mock British accent.

The man turned to face her, his hair flopping slightly. Seeing her, he pleasantly smiled, accentuating the soft wrinkles he had around his eyes.

‘I thought it best to enjoy such a fine breakfast establishment while it lasted, Miss Goldstein.’ he said with a warm laugh.

This man was Tobias Yatherly, the only person in this damnable place Queenie had managed to make friends with. He had been an Auror with the British Ministry before joining Grindelwald. He said it was because he was sick of being forced to hide in the shadows, but he never sounded convincing. Not that Queenie had any idea what he really thought, as he was another skilled Occlumens. She was only slightly bothered by the fact that the only two people she trusted in Nurmengard were Occlumens.

It obviously hadn’t mattered to Grindelwald that Tobias was unconvincing with his reasons. He had wormed his way into Grindelwald’s inner circle and was trusted with important missions and details. Queenie supposed this may have something to do with the fact his mind couldn’t be read.

‘Hey, Queenie. I need to tell you something.’

Queenie snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Tobias with curiosity. He looked unsettled, his eyes wide with concern. He dragged his hands over his face, before returning her gaze.

‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘I’m sure you’ve noticed, but there’s something wrong with the Obscurus.’

‘His name is Aurelius.’ Queenie said sternly.

‘Yes, yes. Aurelius. Anyway, he’s been… absent from communal places.’ Tobias shot a glance at the main table, where there was a distinct lack of Aurelius Dumbledore. ‘Apparently he’s in some sort of mood. Grindelwald can’t figure out what to do with him. I have a reasonably solid feeling he’s going to ask you to do something about it. Due to you being a Legilimens and all that.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘It’s Grindelwald, no one is ever sure. But, yes, I have a good reason to believe that it’s the case.’

‘Well, thank you for the heads up.’

Tobias shot her another soft smile, warming her heart. He was a good friend, and he always had her back. Her thoughts flittered to Aurelius. He had been remarkably absent from most meals. And Queenie remembered Grindelwald telling her he was worried about him. She hated to hear that Aurelius was struggling. She was happy to help but was immensely glad Tobias had given her a warning. Aurelius was certainly a complicated person and could be rather sensitive.

‘Brother and Sister Wizards, may I have your silence?’

The hustle and bustle Queenie had noticed earlier stopped completely at the question. All the acolytes peered forward excitedly. Queenie followed their gaze to the front where Gellert Grindelwald stood in the flesh. Queenie scoffed in her head. Grindelwald had the complete devotion of everyone in the castle, including Queenie, but she didn’t see the need to look up to him like a group of awed first-year students. Nevertheless, he deserved and commanded their full attention when he spoke.

‘I will be going on a small… excursion for the next few days.’ he said softly. ‘I will require the assistance of the finest of our order.’

There was an outbreak of loud murmuring among the acolytes, wondering who Grindelwald would choose. Queenie glanced at Tobias, who caught her eye. They both rolled their eyes in an exaggerated manner. They both found their fellow acolytes obnoxious at times.

‘Yatherly, Rosier, and Abernathy. I will need you to choose three acolytes each to join us.’ he announced, glancing at each of his favoured lieutenants. ‘Make sure they’re good, this isn’t going to be a holiday.’

With that, the hustle and bustle returned swiftly. Grindelwald didn’t need to dismiss them. Queenie had found she just knew when he was finished. It was when his persuasive hold on her – and she assumed the other acolytes – was released. He had a talent for speaking, and he used it well.

She had just realised that she was devilishly hungry when Tobias placed a small plate of food in front of her. She looked up at her friend to see a twinkle in his eyes and a small smile on his face.

‘I noticed you hadn’t eaten yet. I should probably go sort out this excursion team for Grindelwald. Good to, uh, catch up.’

Queenie watched as he walked away. She felt a small smile sneak onto her face. Having at least one friend in Nurmengard was a blessing. She was drifting into her thoughts when she felt a hand place itself softly on her shoulder.

‘Queenie, my dear.’

Queenie recognised that voice immediately. She shot around to face Gellert Grindelwald. He gave an investigative look at her before continuing.

‘You may remember that I told you about the trouble I was having with Aurelius.’

Queenie gave him a nod.

‘Normally I would hate to ask this of you,’ Grindelwald said in his soft, yet gripping voice. ‘But I do not want to see him like he is. Could you talk to him? You have a way with people, my dear. Use your Legilimency if you must.’

‘Of course, Mister Grindelwald. I hate to see Aurelius as he is.’

Grindelwald let a small smile slip onto his face.

‘Thank you, my dear. And please call me Gellert. I consider you a friend.’

With that, Grindelwald walked off to talk to one of his other acolytes. Queenie was stunned. He had asked her to call him Gellert because she was his friend. Conflicted about her choices as she was, Grindelwald always treated her well. She sat in content silence and finished her breakfast.

It took an hour after Grindelwald had asked her to talk to Aurelius for Queenie to muster the courage and go to Aurelius’ room. It wasn’t that Queenie feared the boy, nor did she dislike him. It was simply the fact that if she slipped up in some way his Obscurus could get loose. That did scare her.

She arrived near the top of Nurmengard’s singular tower. She was greeted by a large wooden door, coloured a rich and deep brown. She felt her heartbeat get faster and heavier. Her breaths were becoming sharp and quick. Fear and anxiety was taking over. She pulled her wand out from her robes and pointed it at herself with little hesitation.

‘ _Cessabita_.’

The calming spell had an instant effect on her. Queenie felt her heart slow to a normal pace, and her breathing returned to her control. She needed to have total control of her emotions when talking to Aurelius. Upsetting him was not an ideal option. Taking a deep breath, Queenie knocked on the door.

‘Aurelius? It’s Queenie Goldstein. May I come in?’

‘It’s unlocked.’ a meek voice from within said.

Queenie pushed open the heavy door and entered Aurelius’ room. He stood at the end of the room, staring out through the window at the Austrian mountains. Queenie glanced sideways and saw Aurelius’ phoenix staring aggressively at her. Trying to convince herself she didn’t need another blast of Cessabita, she walked up to the boy.

‘Is everything alright Aurelius?’ she asked kindly.

Queenie saw him flinch at the name Aurelius. A second later, his thoughts confirmed what she guessed. He hated the name. He didn’t see himself as Aurelius, and he didn’t want to be called it either.

‘Would you rather I called you Credence, sweetie?’ Queenie asked.

He gave a small nod.

‘Credence, we’re worried about you.’ she said. Always be direct.

‘I know.’ he responded quietly.

His thoughts were racing all over the place, incoherent and messy. Queenie couldn’t keep up, so she stopped trying. She would figure this out with her words. Credence would get her help, one way or another.

‘Do you feel comfortable telling me what’s wrong?’

Credence shifted on the spot. He looked desperately uncomfortable. Queenie held his chin up and looked into his wide eyes. She saw a darkness lurking in them, waiting to burst out. She saw a sadness, created by traumas unspoken. But most of all, she saw a scared little boy. Credence’s eyes were those of fear and terror. Something snapped in her soul. She woke up every morning with those same eyes. A stinging sensation burnt behind her eyes. Quickly wiping any possible tears away, she lightly pulled Credence to the small steps in his room and sat down. She patted beside her, gesturing for Credence to sit. To her relief, he obliged.

‘Let’s start easy. Do you not like the name Aurelius?’ Queenie asked. She knew he didn’t, but it would be good for him to admit it.

‘It – it doesn’t feel like that’s… who I am.’

‘Do you have a reason for thinking that?’

‘I – I don’t – don’t think that I’m Aurelius Dumbledore. I – I don’t see how it’s possible.’

Queenie placed a hand on Credence’s shoulder, hoping to calm him. Sneaking into his thoughts, Queenie realised how much he didn’t think he was a Dumbledore. Credence had little belief in his abilities as a wizard. He had only managed to get his wand to work twice, and he thought the phoenix hung around because he fed it when it was a chick. Queenie briefly missed Newt’s expertise. He would’ve been able to at least sort out the phoenix.

‘Sweetie, it’s okay not to think you’re Aurelius Dumbledore. You’ve got to be the person you think you are, not the labels other people put on you.’

‘It – it’s just that Mister Grindelwald has been so nice to me, and I just – I just don’t know if I made the right choice.’ Credence said, tears forming in his eyes.

Queenie certainly hadn’t expected that. Grindelwald had seemed to settle Credence’s nerves regarding his choice a month ago. Peering into his mind, she realised she had been wrong. The choice he had made still haunted Credence.

In that moment, Queenie related more to Credence than anyone else. Both had made huge choices in Paris, and now those same choices had come back to haunt them. Returned to keep them awake at night, to draw tears from behind their eyes. Their choices were scars on their souls, deep and vicious, never to fade away. Queenie, not bothering to hold the tears she hated back, placed an arm around Credence.

‘It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay.’ she said through the tears.

‘I left people that cared about me. I – I – I lost them and it’s my fault.’

Queenie felt a cold stab deep in her chest. It was as if Credence was recounting her life story. Her friends were a long way from here, due to her own choices. Reality was shattering around her. Fragments of memories glided through her thoughts. Adventures in New York with Newt, learning from her big sister Tina, and falling in love with Jacob. Memories that threatened to be poisoned by her choices. She pulled Credence into a hug, desperate to keep him from seeing the emotional state she was in. As he started to sob into her shoulder, Queenie did her best to compose herself for his benefit.

‘Hey, sweetie. They’re not lost. Grindelwald wants the best for all of us, even them. You’ll see them again, you made the right choice.’

Credence stayed in her embrace but stopped crying. He seemed to believe her words. Maybe one day she’d believe them too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Credence is older than Queenie, but she doesn't know that, and he acts like a little boy (probably due to the terrible parenting).  
> Also, just because she joined Grindelwald doesn't mean she's not still the sweetest person around.
> 
> Chapter 4 is back to Newt as he and the gang head to Germany.  
> It may be a little delayed due to the fact I'm going on a short holiday soon.  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Showdown in Leipzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt, Tina and Jacob find themselves in a desperate fight against Grindelwald's acolytes.
> 
> Mildred saves the day.

Newt

The Floo Network may be a convenient mode of transportation for the wizarding community, but that certainly didn’t mean that Newt enjoyed using it in the slightest. The feeling it created made Newt’s head spin, as it rushed him through a nightmarish vortex to the next destination. He had also found, since Paris, the idea of being swallowed by flames left an uneasy and nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Not that any of this mattered. Theseus had needed to get them to Germany as quickly as possible, and the International Floo Network was the fastest way to do it. Now, as he stepped out of the final Floo connection, Newt could take a deep breath of fresh air, and try to push through the feeling of needing to throw up.

Newt heard the flash of flame behind him as the others arrived. Turning, he watched as Tina, Jacob and Theseus stepped out. Jacob’s face had gone quite pale and there was an obvious sweat on his forehead. Tina must have noticed this too, as she took Jacob aside and dabbed his head with a handkerchief. Newt resolved to let her help Jacob; she likely knew better how to do it, having lived with him for a month.

‘Ah, Theseus. I am glad you have finally arrived.’ said an accented voice that Newt recognised.

Newt faced the source of the comment and saw a dark-skinned man. He was wearing a battered blue top-hat and a ragged, faded overcoat. This man was Yusuf Kama, and Newt still couldn’t look at him without feeling a slight twinge of anger at how he had treated Tina in Paris.

Yusuf appeared to notice Newt and his friends for the first time.

‘Oh. Mister Scamander, Miss Goldstein, and Mister… Kowalski, is it not? I hope we can have a better working relationship than the last time.’

Tina shot him a glare and Jacob still looked ill, so Newt held out his hand awkwardly.

‘Uh, yes. Um, good... to see you again?’ Newt mumbled.

To Newt’s great relief, Yusuf warmly shook his hand, a pleasant smile etched on his face. Theseus seemed to finally notice that the tension in the room was so thick one could practically walk into it. He clapped his hands together loudly and walked out the door of the Floo room. Yusuf gave a bemused look and beckoned for the trio to follow him. Jacob seemed well enough to follow him out. Newt lingered behind eying Tina, which she noticed.

‘Newt? Is something wrong?’ she asked, concern palpable in her voice.

Newt swallowed. He had been sitting on this conversation since they’d left the Mojave. He knew, deep down, it was one he needed to have, but now he could barely bring himself to make out a sentence.

‘Tina. I’ve, um, well… look, you see, I’ve been mulling over – no, that’s not right. We, you know, um… oh, I don’t know.’ Newt stammered, feeling his face flush red.

Tina grabbed his hands from his sides and held them in front of her. Her eyes met his, compassionate but intense, like fire in dark water. He found himself once again thinking how much her eyes were like salamanders.

‘Newt, you can tell me. You’re safe here.’ Tina said, rubbing her thumbs over his knuckles, sending a tingling feeling up Newt’s arm.

Newt took a deep breath to gather his thoughts.

‘That kiss. In the cave. Did – did it mean anything? Do you… want something more?’

It was Tina’s turn for her face to flush red. She nervously squeezed Newt’s hands tightly. She didn’t meet Newt’s eyes for a moment, but soon looked up, the intensity in her eyes replaced by a vulnerability.

‘I – I – I thought it meant something. I want it to mean something. Do… you?’ she said softly.

Newt’s heart felt as if it was doing flips in his chest. It started pumping with loud thuds that seemed to make enough noise for even Tina to hear.

‘… Yes.’ he managed to say.

Tina looked at him, eyes blinking. There was a moment of silence between them, neither comforting nor awkward. Newt watched as Tina bit her top lip, like she was trying to choose between options presented to her. Newt didn’t let his face scrunch when he figured out what she was choosing between. He simply made the choice himself by leaning in and kissing her.

Tina melted into it. Newt melted back. This kiss was different to the one in the Runespoor’s cavern. It was still passionate, Newt could most certainly feel that. But it was also soft and calm, not hard and frantic. Newt’s beating heart slowed back to its normal pace as he relaxed into Tina’s lips. He felt content, in the Floo room, because he wanted this, and Tina wanted this. It wasn’t a stolen moment, but a realisation of the feelings and intimate-but-not-this-intimate moments they had already shared. Newt was perfectly happy to stay here in this instance of time, and Tina seemed to be as well, having relaxed back, body untensed, face no longer scrunched.

‘Ahem.’ said a voice from the doorway. ‘We are here for a reason.’

Newt and Tina shot apart with the speed of a top-of-the-line broomstick, blushes filling their faces, tips of their ears reddening. Newt looked to the doorway and saw his brother Theseus looking between the two of them, amusement obvious on his face. Tina dropped Newt’s hands and pushed past Theseus, but Newt noticed the small glance and wave she gave him on her way out. He also noticed the rather large smirk on his brother’s face.

‘You’re finally growing up! I suspect mother and father had given up, but I always held out hope.’ Theseus said, a cheeky gleam in his eye.

‘Oh, do be quiet Theseus.’ Newt said, allowing himself to smile.

Newt supposed he should be mad or annoyed that Theseus had interrupted him and Tina and was now cackling his way out of the door. But he wasn’t. It had been a long, long time since a smile had crossed his brother’s face, and an even longer time since he’d made any semblance of a laugh. Therefore, the laughing at Newt’s expense didn’t bother him. He’d much rather see his brother happy.

The happiness Newt had felt from his moment with Tina and seeing Theseus laugh died as soon as he stepped out into the deep fog that blanketed the city. It was swiftly replaced with a swirling pool of misery in his chest. Echoes of past despairs bubbled up into his mind. He desperately shook his head to try and shake out the ashes of Leta burning in blue flame. The world started to spin, and Newt spiralled further. He was back in the Headmaster’s office in Hogwarts, disappointment evident on his parent’s faces as he was expelled. The grey tones of the concrete city merged into the green grasses of his childhood home as his father buried the pet Kneazle he grew up with. It was too much. Unable to support him under the weight of grief, Newt’s legs gave away. He fell, only to be caught by two sets of arms.

‘Newt! Buddy! Are you alright?’ shouted Jacob, but Newt could barely hear it.

Newt could vaguely hear a mix of noises and voices in a muddle around him. The world kept spinning, and Newt couldn’t seem to place his feet on solid ground.

‘Come back Newt. Please.’ Tina said.

 The world stopped spinning. Newt clung to Tina’s voice in his mind and used it as a pulling force to reality. Jacob’s words started to make sense, and he used them as another lifeline to reality. His legs steadied, and Newt refocused into his surroundings. The first thing he saw was Tina and Jacob, concerned looks on their faces. He gave them a half-hearted smile.

‘I’m not sure what happened there. Just… all my bad memories surged up.’

Newt felt a hand clap on his shoulder. He shifted slightly, and saw it was Theseus. He half-expected a hug to follow but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, Theseus’s lips thinned, and he gave Newt a look of understanding.

‘We think there aref Dementors active in this city. We haven’t seen any, but half our Aurors have been having the same reaction as you. I’ve only ever seen it attributed to Dementors.’ he said, certainty in his tone.

Theseus waved the other Aurors back to their stations, leaving Newt with Tina and Jacob.

‘Thank you.’ Newt said to both.

Jacob and Tina shared a rather confused glance.

‘For catching you? I don’t see why we wouldn’t.’ Jacob said.

‘No, no. You… You brought me back. I was – well, I was wallowing. Hearing you two snapped me back into reality.’

Jacob clapped his hand on Newt’s back rather enthusiastically, a smile beaming on his face. Tina gave him a quick peck on the cheek with a blush. Upon seeing this, Jacob’s smile shifted into a knowing smirk.

‘I knew you guys would figure it out! I’m glad I didn’t have to spell out the obvious.’

Tina reached over to hit his shoulder and Newt laughed into his coat collar.

‘We shouldn’t keep Theseus waiting.’ Newt said, smile falling from his face.

The trio went in the direction Theseus had gone, but they weren’t smiling. Despair prodded at the edges of Newt’s mind, the miserable city weighing its effect on them. When they arrived Theseus and Yusuf Kama were locked in animated discussion. The looks on their faces further dampened the situation. Newt felt the tendrils of darkness slip their way into the edges of his thoughts. He tried to busy himself in what Yusuf and his brother were talking about.

‘Our source said that they’d be in Leipzig! Just because we haven’t seen them yet doesn’t mean they’re not here.’ Theseus said irritably.

‘How do you know we can trust your source? He could be on Grindelwald’s side!’ Yusuf angrily retorted.

‘I know him! We went to Hogwarts together, I am sure he wouldn’t betray me.’

‘I was sure that Credence Barebone was Corvus Lestrange and look how that turned out! We are at war Theseus, we can’t be sure of anything.’

‘They will be here. That’s final.’

Yusuf gave an exasperated look before storming off to another Auror post. Newt walked up beside Theseus, who was looking stressed and annoyed.

‘Newt, I don’t have the time.’ he said, without looking up from a map of the city.

Newt didn’t say anything, instead just stood beside his brother, trying to be a calming presence. He peered at the map of Leipzig. Theseus had marked out areas of interest in the city, red pins on several industrial areas. Some had circles drawn in quill ink around them, labelled as battle zones.

‘Aren’t you worried about the Statute of Secrecy? These battle zones are in muggle areas.’ Newt said.

‘Yes, but they’re industrial zones and it’s early in the morning. There shouldn’t be any muggles in those areas at all, which is why I want to keep conflict contained there.’ Theseus replied through pursed lips.

Newt, sensing that Theseus wanted to be left alone, nodded and stepped away. He was about to open his mouth to say something to Tina when they were interrupted.

‘Tina? Is that you?’

Newt saw Tina freeze up. Ready for a fight, Newt held his wand in his pocket and faced the voice. Jacob did the same, gripping Newt’s case. Newt noted that he must’ve been carrying it for him since the Runespoor’s cavern, before refocusing onto the source of the voice.

A man walked towards the trio. His hair was a dull brown and was slicked back. Broad shoulders framed the rest of his body, a stocky appearance that didn’t quite fit with his tall height. His eyes were an emerald green and hard, which contrasted dramatically with the soft smile on his face. Newt immediately felt a twisting feeling in his gut. This man didn’t look trustworthy.

‘Hello, Achilles.’ Tina said through gritted teeth.

Newt’s blood ran cold immediately. The name rang a bell in the depths of Newt’s memory. Achilles Tolliver, the man Tina had been in a relationship with a month prior. Suspiciously, Newt eyed the Auror as he approached. Still tensed, Tina took a small step backwards between Jacob and Newt, her facial expression emotionless.

‘What are you doing here? I thought you quit being an Auror?’ Achilles asked.

‘Newt’s brother asked us to help,’ Tina said, gesturing at Newt. ‘And you don’t have to be an Auror to know what’s right and wrong.’

The venom in her words surprised even Newt. He was certainly not a fan of Achilles, but he didn’t realise that he had earned Tina’s disdain. Achilles was apparently also caught off-guard by her hostility, flinching at her words. His eyes hardened further, and Newt was ready to pull his wand out, but he made no move.

‘What’s with the hostility?’ he asked, jaw clenching.

Eyes widening, Tina looked at him as if that was the last question she was expecting to hear. Newt cringed backwards as a fire appeared in her eyes. He’d seen it before, when they had seen each other again in Paris, and she thought he was marrying Leta. Jacob apparently recognised it as well, glancing at Newt, as if to say _this guy better watch out_. Newt agreed wholeheartedly.

‘Hostility? My _hostility_? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact you refused to have anything to do with me because I broke up with you.’ Tina snarled.

‘What? I thought you didn’t want to see me! You disappeared off the face of the Earth!’

‘Did it ever cross your dull mind that it might be because my sister joined Grindelwald? That I couldn’t handle the attention and that I needed a friend? You were a friend!’

Achilles looked to be biting back a vicious remark, while Tina looked ready to start throwing punches. Pulling his wand out, Newt prepared to defuse the situation. Before anything could escalate, a bright red light shot into the sky, piercing through the fog and illuminating the industrial district they found themselves in.

‘They’re here.’ Achilles said, looking tense. ‘Grindelwald’s here.’

This revelation prompted Tina to pull out her wand. Newt opened his mouth to ask where the flare came from, but was interrupted by a loud booming sound, and what looked like debris cutting through the fog.

‘That was a blasting curse. We better go and help.’ Tina said, before rushing off in the direction of the explosion.

Newt and Jacob shared a fatigued look, before running after her. Newt could hear the footsteps of Achilles Tolliver running after them. A deep sigh left his lips. He knew Achilles was just doing his job, but he would prefer if he didn’t hang around them. They caught up to Tina, who had started to slow. Confused, Newt followed her gaze and realised why. Curses and hexes cut through the air in front of them, as Aurors and acolytes ran and screamed spells, waving and pointing their wands. Inaccurate spells missed their marks and hit buildings, some dissipating with little effect, others exploding, gouging into the concrete. The trio stood, frozen for a moment at the sight of the chaos of battle. They were snapped out of this by a curse colliding with a shield charm in front of them.

‘Don’t stand there gawping!’ Achilles boomed.

His voice quickly brought Newt back into focus. He flicked his wand, casting an _Expelliarmus_ , and a nearby acolyte’s wand was knocked out of his hand. In the corner of his eye, he saw Tina and Achilles charge into the fray, Achilles throwing up shield charm after shield charm, while Tina aggressively threw hexes and curses at acolytes. Seeing them work so well together caused a pang of jealousy to slice through Newt's chest. He squashed that feeling down. A life-threatening battle was not the place to get jealous, and they had worked as an Auror team anyway. It made sense that they would be in sync when it came to that.

Newt was ripped from his thoughts by a hex whizzing just past his shoulder. Looking to the source, he saw a rather angry looking acolyte pointing his wand in Newt’s direction. Lips curled into a snarl, the acolyte looked ready to throw another hex. Newt cycled through shield charms in his head, preparing to protect himself. Before any spells could be cast, a lightning bolt struck the acolyte square in the chest, knocking him unconscious.

‘Stay focused Newt!’ Theseus shouted, obviously the source of the lightning curse.

Newt turned back into the battle, and there was his brother, surrounded by acolytes. If it were anyone else, Newt may have been worried for their safety. But this was Theseus Scamander. Newt thought the acolytes should be more worried. As if to prove his point, Theseus waved his wand in a large circular motion, building up electricity, before he flicked it violently. Four bolts of lightning shot out from the tip of his wand, slamming into four acolytes. They thudded to the ground, unconscious. Before the other few acolytes could respond, they were hit with various curses by Yusuf Kama, stepping in beside Theseus. Deciding that they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, Newt looked for Jacob. He saw him being forced into a corner, ducking and dodging past curses. One acolyte managed to get a clear view of him and raised his wand, a vicious look on his face.

‘Protego!’ Newt yelled, pointing his wand at Jacob.

The shield charm surrounded Jacob, protecting him from the curse thrown at him by the acolyte. Somewhat confused, the acolyte turned to Newt. Upon seeing him, his face twisted further, eyes glinting with pure malice. Newt didn’t wait for him to make the first move.

‘ _Serpensortia_!’ Newt shouted.

A snake was conjured into existence in front of the acolyte. It hissed loudly, moving in to attack. The acolyte stumbled backwards, clearly trying to remember the counter-spell. Newt did not deign to let him figure it out.

‘ _Ventus_!’

A small hurricane burst from the tip of Newt’s wand, wildly surrounding the acolyte, trapping him in place as the conjured snake moved closer. Content that the acolyte was no longer a problem, Newt ran to Jacob.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked.

Jacob looked at him as he wiped a heavy sweat from his brow. He looked pale, and his eyes betrayed his fear. In his other hand, he still held Newt’s case, his knuckles white with his tight grip.

‘It’s going to be alright. I’ll look after you. Just – just keep an eye on my case, right?’ Newt said.

Jacob jerked his head in a movement Newt chose to accept as a nod. He pivoted just in time to see two more acolytes wearing dark cloaks closing in. Newt held his wand up, swiftly moving it in the air.

‘ _Lacarnum Inflamari_!’  

Two fireballs shot out of his wand, causing their cloaks to ignite into orange flame. The acolytes scattered, desperately trying to put the fire out.

‘Not bad, Scamander!’ said a voice that sounded both familiar and menacing.

A snarl on Jacob’s face convinced Newt that it wasn't someone on their side. Looking for the source, Newt peered into the crowd. His eyes settled on Gunnar Grimmson, standing there, his lips curled in a sneer, wand raised. He threw a hex that Newt barely managed to block with a shield charm. Grimmson didn’t relent. He threw a blasting curse. Instead of using a shield charm, Newt dove down. The curse flew over his head, hitting the corner of the building behind him. It exploded in a shower of bricks, glass, and plaster. Newt had to cast a quick shield charm to prevent him and Jacob from being pelted. Unfortunately, the distraction created an opportunity for Grimmson to strike.

‘ _Incarcerous_.’ Grimmson said, wand pointed at Newt.

Ropes conjured into the air and wrapped themselves around Newt, binding his arms together. They were tight enough to make Newt drop his wand. He was incapacitated, and at the complete mercy of Grimmson. Or, Newt thought to himself, the complete lack of mercy. Grimmson gave Newt another sneer.

‘You’re pathetic, Scamander. This is almost a mercy. _Avada Ked-_ ‘

Before he could finish the Unforgivable, he was hit by a Body-Bind curse. Tina ran to Newt’s side, Achilles following behind her, keeping his wand trained on Grimmson.

‘Newt! Are you alright?’ she said, removing the ropes.

‘I – I think so.’ Newt replied, rubbing his arms. ‘Thanks to you.’

A light blush appeared in Tina’s cheeks before she regained her controlled demeanour. She motioned for them to follow her into a side street. As they walked, Jacob tapped Newt on the shoulder.

‘Is your case, uh, meant to do this?’ Jacob said, holding up Newt’s case, which was shaking rather violently.

Newt took the case from him before answering.

‘No, no it’s not. Mildred, calm down in there please.’ he said, leaning close to the case.

Achilles looked at him with bewilderment.

‘Mildred?’

‘Mildred is my Wampus cat. I had intended to drop her off in Appalachia.’

Achilles appeared to want to comment further, but the building on their left exploded. Newt pushed Jacob behind him. Tina stepped up beside him, and they both cast a shield charm to protect the group from large concrete debris. The debris bounced harmlessly off, the trio protected.

‘Ah, fuck. That hurts.’

They spun around to see Achilles Tolliver lying on the ground; a large concrete chunk had crushed his legs. The Hufflepuff in Newt compelled him to rush to Achilles’ side. He shot a glance at a stunned Tina. She caught his meaning. A wave of her wand lifted the concrete off Achilles, and she discarded it with a flick. Newt moved over to Achilles legs, and forced himself to hold back a gag. They were completely mangled. The concrete must have hit them with some force. Newt cast a few spells to stop the bleeding, resigned to the fact that it was the best he could do. Tina dropped by his side, horrified at the sight. Newt placed a hand gently on her back and rubbed softly.

‘Achilles… what happened?’ Tina said.

Achilles shifted slightly and tried to sit up. He appeared to be unable to feel his legs, a fact that became obvious when he faltered on the way up and started to slip backwards. Newt made a move to grab him but there was no need; Jacob was already there, catching him. With Jacob’s help, Achilles managed to sit up. He looked at Tina, then Newt, a wry smile on his face.

‘I was a little too close to the explosion to get a shield charm up. Just my luck, I guess.’

Achilles was trying to find humour in the situation, but he was speaking through gritted teeth, and his face was almost permanently twisted in pain. Magic could do wonderful things, but Newt was entirely unsure about Achilles’ chances of walking ever again.

‘Expelliarmus!’ a voice shouted.

Newt’s wand flew out of his grasp; Tina’s soon followed. They looked up and saw an amused man standing above them, flanked by two heavily cloaked acolytes. His slicked black hair and snide expression rang a bell in Newt’s mind, but he wasn’t entirely when or where he had seen him before.

‘Abernathy.’ Tina hissed, and Newt remembered the rather self-important supervisor from MACUSA.

‘Goldstein? It can’t be. Still hanging around with Scamander and a no-maj then?’ Abernathy said mockingly.

Tina seemed about ready to attack him without a wand, so Newt gripped her shoulders to hold her back. Abernathy, oblivious to this, continued talking.

‘And you’re – don’t remind me – Achilles Tolliver! You look in a bad state. I guess you’re not a very good Auror.’

Achilles managed to hold back the pain long enough to give Abernathy an offensive gesture. Abernathy just snorted. In the corner of his eye, Newt noticed that his case was once again shaking wildly. The structure of a plan began to formulate in his mind.

‘It’s a pleasure to see you, my former colleagues. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to kill you –‘

‘Wait!’ Newt cried. ‘Kill us and my secret weapon will destroy you all.’

Abernathy paused, giving Newt a distrusting, yet intrigued look.

‘What secret weapon?’

‘The one in my case.’

Newt gestured to his case, which was now lifting off the ground slightly with its shaking. Abernathy looked suspicious, but still stepped over. He leant down and flicked the locks open on the case, as Newt knew he would.

‘Mildred, now!’ Newt shouted.

The lid of the suitcase burst open with frightening speed. Before anyone could so much as wave their wand, a rush of golden fur burst out from the depths of Newt’s case. Its speed knocked Abernathy to the ground, disarming him in the process. The other two acolytes raised their wands, but the golden blur appeared to leap at them. In the blink of an eye, they had collapsed on the ground, blood leaking into the cracked concrete. Abernathy tried to get up but was immediately pinned down in a second. On top of him stood a large cat, with a shaggy coat of golden fur, long tail flicking in the air. Paws pressed down heavily on Abernathy’s chest, the front two lightly bloodstained from the other acolytes. Her mouth was open, revealing sharp white teeth, with two large canines. She looked ready to bite down on a terrified Abernathy’s neck.

‘Mildred, stop. Don’t you bite down on him.’ Newt said.

Mildred looked up from Abernathy. Her sharp yellow eyes stared right into Newt’s. Newt could feel a light brushing in the corners of his mind, a sign that the cat was trying to use Legilimency on him. He put up his mental barriers as best as he could and wagged a finger at Mildred.

‘Enough poking around in my mind. Please hypnotise Mister Abernathy instead.’

Mildred gave a disapproving growl, but Newt felt the brushing in his mind go away. Turning her head back to Abernathy’s face, she went still. Newt watched as her piercing yellow eyes changed to a deep blue. Abernathy desperately tried to shake her off, but slowly resisted less and less. Soon, his eyes glazed over, his body slumped. Mildred stepped off him, eyes back to their yellow coloration, and looked at Newt. He suspected she was looking for some form of validation. Stepping over the prone Abernathy, he reached Mildred and scratched behind her pointed ears. She purred in response, leaning into Newt’s legs. His friends just looked bewildered and relieved.

‘What’s she done to him?’ Tina finally asked.

‘Hypnotised him. Wampus cats can use hypnosis and Legilimency.’ Newt said.

‘So, we’ve got one of those crazy acolyte guys on our side?’ Jacob said.

‘It would appear to be the case.’

Before anymore questions regarding Mildred the Wampus cat could be fielded, a large silver lion bounded through the air to where they were standing.

‘Newt, I need you and your friends. Grindelwald’s here. Follow the Patronus.’ said the lion, the voice of Theseus coming out.

Newt’s blood ran cold at the mention of Grindelwald. From Theseus’s stories, Newt knew that Grindelwald himself never made an appearance, instead delegating his top acolytes to run missions. The fact that he was here terrified Newt. He couldn’t face Grindelwald. Not after Paris. He wasn’t ready. The smell of fire filled Newt’s nostrils, his throat closing. He couldn’t breathe. Blue flashes scattered across his vision, and Newt felt himself spiralling. The world seemed to blur again before a hand is lightly placed on his shoulder.

‘You don’t have to fight him.’ Tina said softly into his ear.

Newt felt firm ground again. Mildred rubbed her head against his legs in a comforting gesture. Newt turned to Tina, looked at her sympathetic gaze, and felt bolder than he ever had before. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Half-expecting her to pull away, he was pleasantly surprised when she kissed back instead. They stayed like this, locked together, until Jacob clapped his hands on each of their shoulders.

‘Don’t get me wrong, I love that you guys are together, but we do have places to be. Grindelwald’s still out there, remember?’

Tina shot him a glare, but Newt knew he was right. He slipped apart from Tina, shooting her a sympathetic look. Mildred bumped into the back of his knees. Looking down at her, he recognised the question in her yellow eyes. Wampus cats were more intelligent than people gave them credit for.

‘Get Abernathy to apparate back to Grindelwald, then to try and apprehend him.’

Mildred padded over to Abernathy. She looked down at him, her eyes once again shifting to a deep blue colour. As her eyes returned to their yellow, she stepped away. Abernathy shot up, looked around, and swiftly disapparated.

‘Well, that’s him – ow, shit – gone. What now?’ Achilles said.

‘Could Mildred carry him?’ Tina asked Newt.

Before any of them could so much as look at Mildred, she was already by Achilles’ side, nudging at his back. Newt realised she had used Legilimency to figure out what they wanted. Jacob helped lift Achilles onto the big cat’s back. Newt grabbed their wands and his case from the ground, and Theseus’s Patronus - which had been patiently waiting for them - led the way back to Theseus.

Arriving in the main area, Newt immediately noticed the divide between the group of Aurors and acolytes. No one seemed to be fighting; Newt realised why as they got closer. In the centre of the two groups, Theseus was duelling with Gellert Grindelwald himself. Newt felt the spindly fingers of terror clamp around his heart. Skilled as he was, Theseus couldn’t beat Grindelwald, and Newt couldn’t bear to see someone else he loved fall to Grindelwald’s wand.

As if to prove his point, Theseus threw a vicious lightning curse at Grindelwald, who blocked it with little effort. Grindelwald then cast a curse of his own, and Theseus couldn’t get a shield charm up in time. The curse struck his right shoulder, throwing Theseus to the ground with a spin. Newt twisted desperately, looking at Mildred. The Wampus cat was a step ahead of him. Abernathy stepped out from the ranks of the acolytes and shot a disarming spell at Grindelwald. The dark wizard blocked it, but he was distracted. Yusuf Kama shouted a rallying cry, and the battle re-ignited. Newt was relieved to see Theseus swallowed by the Auror group, protected from further attack. The acolytes, caught off-guard by Abernathy’s sudden betrayal, were forced backwards. Tina screamed some hexes at nearby acolytes. Newt joined her, hurling hexes and curses whenever an acolyte crossed into range. Mildred moved closer, allowing Achilles to put up shield charms whenever they attracted unwanted attention.

In the corner of his eye, Newt saw Abernathy go down after a flash of green light from Grindelwald’s wand. But it didn’t matter now; the Aurors had gained the upper hand. Newt and Tina made a formidable attack and with Achilles’ defensive magic, the acolytes couldn’t get a scratch on them. Newt led them towards the centre of the battle, where Grindelwald stood. The dark wizard seemed to realise the battle was going against him, so he stepped forward slightly.

‘Go, my followers. Disapparate! _Fluctus Terram_!’ he said, plunging his wand into the ground.

From where his wand touched the ground, the ground ripped up in a shockwave towards the Aurors. Achilles cast a strong shield charm, protecting Newt, Tina, and Jacob. As it knocked over Aurors and forced others to put up shield charms, the acolytes that were able to disapparated. Soon they were gone – Grindelwald included – and only those that couldn’t escape or were dead stayed behind. Strangely, with the acolytes leaving, the tendrils of despair that had been poking at Newt’s mind disappeared. Leipzig seemed to be released from its misery.

Yusuf Kama was the first to take charge, organising a triage in a gutted factory nearby. He, along with other fit and healthy Aurors, began a coordinated arrest effort of the remaining acolytes.

Newt felt perfectly content letting Yusuf and the Aurors complete the arrests. He was worried for his brother, and Achilles needed medical treatment. With a look to Tina and Jacob, and a quick gesture for Mildred to move, Newt headed to the makeshift medical area.

Newt looked hard for his brother, but it was Theseus that found him first. He drew Newt into a hug as soon as he saw him. Newt hugged him back, allowing grateful tears to flow down his cheek. He had been worried about Theseus, truly and deeply worried, so to see him alright was a relief. Theseus winced when they ended the hug. Newt looked at him with concern.

‘I’m alright Newt. It wasn’t a serious curse. My shoulder’s just going to be a little sore for a while.’

‘Perhaps you should take a break from this then.’

Theseus laughed.

‘When Grindelwald is defeated Newt, when Grindelwald is defeated.’ Theseus said, leaving to find Yusuf Kama.

Happy to see his brother alright, Newt went to find his friends. He found them standing around Achilles, who was lying unconscious on a conjured stretcher. A healer was fussing over him. Tina heard Newt approach and gave him a rueful smile.

‘Is he going to be alright?’ Newt said.

The healer answered before Tina or Jacob could comment.

‘We managed to save his left leg, but we need to get him to a magical hospital if his right is to have any chance.’

Newt nodded slowly. He hoped Achilles would recover. He hadn’t liked him at first, but Achilles had proven his worth. Maybe not as a friend, but certainly as a good man. And Mildred appeared to like him, sitting protectively by his stretcher.

‘We need to get out of here before the Muggles start waking up! We have portkeys set up for transport to the Berlin Hospital for Magical Injuries for those who need it. Everyone else, disapparate or take the Floo.’ said a magically boosted Theseus.

The medical area erupted into noise as patients were moved and people disapparated or headed towards the Floo. Some had prisoners at their side, and Newt allowed himself a small smile when he saw Gunnar Grimmson in handcuffs being apparated away. They were about to leave, when Achilles tugged at Tina’s sleeve.

‘Tina, I’m sorry. I was too focused on myself that I didn’t take notice of your problems. I can’t make it up to you, but I’d like to be friends.’ he said softly, his hand out.

Tina took his hand and gave him a small smile.

‘Friends it is.’

He returned her smile, then closed his eyes and lay back on the stretcher. A wave of the healer’s wand caused the stretcher to float in the direction of the portkeys. Newt watched him go for a bit, before turning and leaving, Mildred, Jacob and Tina on his heels.

As he led them towards the Floo, Theseus caught up with them. He gave a strange look at Mildred, before shaking his head and matching their pace.

‘I think Dumbledore would like to know what happened here. I’d like it if you three – plus the, uh, cat – came back to Hogwarts with me.’

Newt was apprehensive of forcing his friends to come to Hogwarts, but when he looked at their faces, they seemed excited at the prospect of going back to the famous school. With a small sigh, he bundled Mildred back into his case as they reached the Floo Network.

‘Alright then. Hogwarts it is.’

Newt could’ve sworn Theseus was grinning as he threw the Floo powder down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, but here it is!  
> I enjoyed writing this chapter, especially Mildred.  
> Another highlight was meeting Theseus's Patronus, and creating Fluctus Terram (it translates to 'ground wave' in Latin).
> 
> Next chapter is back to Nurmengard with Queenie and Credence!  
> Hopefully it won't take so long to write.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Nurmengard's Harmony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queenie wants to keep Credence safe. 
> 
> Even if it requires duelling one of the meanest acolytes in Nurmengard.

Queenie

It had been a week since Grindelwald had left for Germany. He had taken about fifteen acolytes, and they were meeting up with a larger group led by Gunnar Grimmson. At least, that’s what Tobias had told Queenie.

Queenie had stopped crying. She’d come to understand the politics of Nurmengard. Visible emotions didn’t gain any favours. Control was necessary. Queenie had been weak before. She’d let emotions rule her decisions. That wouldn’t happen anymore. She would be strong enough to shape Nurmengard to be hers, and to protect Credence.

Before he had left, Gellert Grindelwald had told Queenie to take care of Aurelius, to keep up the small progress she had made before they left. So, she had. She brought food up to his room. She taught him spells to protect himself, to the best of her ability. He still couldn’t control his magic very well, his wand very rarely listening to the commands he gave it. She called him Credence, because that was who he was. If he wasn’t even allowed to control who he was, then how could he ever grow?

Her mission as the week turned was to get Credence to join her for a communal meal. At the current moment, he hid out in his room, waiting for Queenie to bring him some food. She was honoured that he trusted her, but he needed to trust more than just her to survive in Nurmengard. Almost every friendship here was political. Grindelwald thought Credence was key to his plans; if it was true, Credence needed to make himself more popular. She’d heard the whisperings that he was a freak.

So, at lunchtime on Sunday, Queenie found herself trying to persuade Credence to join her.

‘Sweetie, you can’t stay in your room forever. You need to meet your allies.’

‘Why? You don’t like any of them. Why should I?’

‘Credence, that’s not true at all.’

‘Yes, it is! You spend half your time in my room, and the other half in yours!’

Queenie pinched the bridge of her nose. She supposed she should be happy that Credence was gaining confidence, but she would rather he didn’t use that confidence to argue with her.

‘Gellert says that you are the key to this whole operation. You need these people to trust you.’

Credence looked at her, defiance blazing behind his eyes.

‘If I’m the key to this operation, I don’t need any of them to trust me. They don’t have a choice.’

‘Credence, sweetie, please. Just one lunch. If it doesn’t work, I won’t ask you again.’

Apparently, the pleading tone in her voice was enough to break through his defences. She heard his decision in his mind before he made a move. When he did finally nod, Queenie grabbed his hand and led him out of his room.

Most of the acolytes who hadn’t gone with Grindelwald were already at the tables for lunch. Queenie could hear both the verbal and mental chatter before they entered. This immediately changed when they walked through the doors. The chatter died down to quiet whispers as the other acolytes glanced in their direction. Despite their hush, their thoughts gave them away.

‘ _It’s the two freaks of the cause.’_

_‘Makes sense for the freaks to stick together.’_

_‘Why Grindelwald thinks we need these two, I’ll never know.’_

Queenie felt a flush of anger rise to her throat. She pushed it down; anger was a weakness. To show it here would be like exposing your throat to a viper. Instead, she brought Credence to the central long table and placed him down on a bench.

‘Accio.’ she said.

Two plates of food slid down the table to where they were sitting. It was nothing fanciful, a simple corn beef and potato mash. It wasn’t exactly easy to get supplies to Nurmengard, so meals tended to err on the side of plain and boring.

‘I told you it wasn’t worth it. They hate us.’

Queenie turned to Credence and tried to put a firm expression on her face. To falter, to sniffle, or even to frown was a weak slip. Queenie had to be brave for her young friend.

‘They don’t hate us Credence. They’re just not used to us.’

‘I heard… I heard multiple utterances of freak while walking to this table.’

‘They’re just not used to us.’ Queenie repeated firmly, ending the conversation.

The two of them ate in silence, Credence occasionally glancing around, Queenie with her jaw set firm and her eyes focused on her plate. She gave Credence a jab, to get him to stop. It was bad enough the other acolytes thought they were freaks. They didn’t need to think they were _scared_.

All in all, lunch was finished rather quickly. It went far better than Queenie had expected, not that that said much whatsoever. Insults and hate had been kept private, at least allowing them to eat in peace. However, her reason for getting Credence to come to lunch was a failure. It was unbelievably obvious that the other acolytes wanted nothing to do with them.

‘I think a show of strength might… might, uh, win them over.’

Credence’s voice broke Queenie out of her own mind. Also surprising was how accurate he was. The masses at Nurmengard were followers of strength. It was why they were so devoted to Grindelwald. He showed nothing but power and fortitude. It was also why Queenie hadn’t gained the respect of any of them. Why Credence hadn’t. In the eyes of the masses, they were weak and controlled by their emotions.

‘And how would we do that?’

The way Credence looked at her shattered the guarded walls around her heart. His eyes were fierce but sad, tears in their corners. It was like he wanted to fight, but thought it was hopeless. Peering into his mind, she could see why. Everything in his life had been against him. His mother had been cruel and vicious. His real family were lost, unable to be found. Whenever he’d tried to stand up and fight, the world had beaten him down again. Joining Grindelwald was meant to be different, but it was shaping up to be the same life he’d always lived.

As his emotion poured into Queenie’s mind, her eyes started to water. An audible sob crawled out of her throat. She smacked a hand to her mouth, hoping no one had heard it. Credence obviously did, as he pulled her into a hug, like she had for him only a week ago. A small voice in the back of her head told her that this was weakness. A much louder voice told her it wasn’t. This was strength. A willingness to show your emotions. So, she let the tears flow. She cried for her beloved sister, and Newt, the British man who had changed their lives. She cried for Credence, and the horrible life he’d been forced to lead. Finally, she cried for Jacob, the man she loved and the one she left behind. She let the tears flow, because this was strength. She was strong.

Apparently, the other acolytes didn’t think this was the case.

‘Look at the two freaks! They’re crying in each other’s arms. Isn’t that just pathetic?’ said a rather unpleasant voice.

Queenie pulled away from the hug and faced the rather unpleasant face that went with the rather unpleasant voice. The man had a stumpy nose and boxed ears. His hair was black and flat, the fringe slicked down to hide the fact his hairline was receding. His eyes were small and watery, the dull brown barely visible. His droopy lips were currently curled into a snide smile. This was Mulciber, one of the cruellest acolytes in Grindelwald’s army.

Queenie placed herself between Mulciber and Credence, before firing a glare at her fellow acolyte.

‘What do you want, Mulciber?’

‘I was just making sure you knew how pathetic you both are.’

Queenie felt that flush of anger from before try to push its way out again. Once more, she pushed it down; this didn’t need to turn into a fight. Grabbing Credence’s arm, she moved to take him back to his room. But Mulciber apparently had something to say. She heard the insult broadcasted in his mind before he said it out loud.

‘Yeah, run away like the delicate princess freak you are.’

Queenie knew she should keep walking, take Credence back to his room. There was no need to get into any sort of fight with Mulciber. So, she kept walking. Or rather, that was what the logical part of her brain thought she was doing. In reality, she spun around, marched up to Mulciber and punched him in his stumpy nose. Hard.

Mulciber dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks. Blood was already pouring out of his nostrils. It seemed unlikely, but Queenie was sure that his nose was stumpier than before she had punched him. She quickly grabbed Credence again and left to his room; she didn’t want to give Mulciber the chance to get up.

Queenie rushed them into Credence’s room and shoved the door closed behind them.

‘ _Colloportus_!’ she said, wand pointed at the door.

She hoped the locking charm would keep any acolytes from following them in. She wasn’t exactly willing to fight Mulciber’s entire gang.

‘That – that was amazing. But you shouldn’t have done that.’ Credence said.

‘You’re right, I shouldn’t have. But we don’t let bullies have their way, sweetie.’

‘You just have a target on your back now. They’ll have their way regardless.’

‘It’s a target on my back that now won’t be on yours.’

Queenie’s statement seemed to kill further protest. Climbing into his thoughts, she found out why.

_‘She’s standing up for me? Why? Only Nagini has ever bothered to do that, and she was a circus freak just like me. Queenie’s just a normal person.’_

Softly smiling at being called normal, Queenie slipped out of his mind and pulled Credence into another embrace. She had given him a lot of hugs recently. She guessed she was making up for the two decades of his life that lacked affection of any sort. Credence hugged back tightly. His mind gave away the fact he was holding tears back.

‘Credence, you’re worth standing up for. Anyway, us freaks gotta stick together, huh?’ Queenie whispered into Credence’s ear.

That was enough to begin the waterworks. Credence sobbed into Queenie’s shoulder and she held him tightly. She reflected on the first time this had occurred. That time it had been about their choices. Now, at least in Credence’s case, it was about someone having your back. Queenie could do that. She still wasn’t certain of where she stood; still unsure if leaving her family behind was the right choice. But she would die before she let something happen to Credence. She would protect him.

Slipping out of the embrace, Queenie pressed a kiss to Credence’s forehead. Walking over to the door, she unlocked and opened it before pausing in the doorway. She turned back.

‘I’ll protect you. That’s a promise I make to you now.’ she paused, before giving Credence a small smile. ‘And you don’t have to come to the communal meals if you don’t want to, sweetie.’

*******

Queenie almost dropped her plate when she saw Credence waiting at one of the breakfast tables. She really hadn’t expected him to come to anymore communal meals after the Mulciber incident. But here he was, proving he was braver than he looked. Weaving her way past acolytes, and rather pragmatically giving Mulciber and his goons a wide berth, Queenie reached Credence’s side. She placed her plate and sat down next to him, shooting a smile in his direction.

‘I didn’t expect to see you here.’ she said.

‘I – I figured that Mulciber would try and get you back somehow. Leaving you to deal with him seemed… it seemed wrong.’

‘Oh sweetie, I’m meant to be protecting you.’

Credence looked at her, his timid expression becoming fierce for a moment.

‘We – we’ve got each other’s backs. You wouldn’t leave me to Mulciber, so I – I won’t leave you.’

Queenie gave him a soft smile and patted his shoulder. She admired his loyalty. His thoughts had revealed how little people stood up for him, so it made sense that he would be fiercely loyal to those that did.

The pair ate in companionable silence until a loud thud from the other side of the table forced them to look up. Mulciber stood there, having just slapped his hand down. His face was contorted in a vicious looking snarl, aimed at Queenie. In return, she offered him a smirk.

‘You’re dead, princess.’ Mulciber snarled.

Queenie quickly peered into his mind to ensure she wasn’t in danger. Content that he wasn’t going to outright kill her, she let a degree of cockiness slip into her voice.

‘I didn’t realise you had the guts to use the Killing Curse, Mulciber.’

A deep growl escaped Mulciber’s throat. Queenie had trapped him with words. He wasn’t willing to admit he was a cowardly bully, but he also wasn’t going to use the Killing Curse. Credence didn’t seem to realise this, looking like he was going to be the next one to punch Mulciber. Queenie placed a warning hand on his chest, keeping him still.

‘I mean a duel, you freak.’ Mulciber said.

‘Fine. When?’

‘Tonight, in the eastern halls. Seven o’clock. Don’t be late.’

Mulciber gave another snarl and walked off back to his gang. Queenie watched him go, disgust in her throat. Credence distracted her from this by tapping her on the shoulder. Wide-eyed, he looked at her with fear.

‘You can’t duel Mulciber! I heard him bragging earlier about using dark magic to torture some Aurors!’

‘Sweetie, you needn’t worry. I’m perfectly capable of beating someone as slow and stupid as Mulciber in a duel.’

Credence didn’t look calmed by this, but he voiced no further protests, which Queenie was thankful for. She had a duel to prepare for. Finishing her breakfast, she escorted Credence back to his room. Once he was busy feeding his phoenix, Queenie returned to her room, cycling through offensive and defensive spells in her mind.

Queenie thought that she was rather proficient with duelling nowadays. She hadn’t always been so. She had joined the duelling club at Ilvermorny as soon as she was able (at Tina’s insistence) but was beaten far more often than she won (despite Tina’s best efforts). This had changed about halfway through her fourth year. Finally mastering her innate ability for Legilimency had allowed her to see an opponent’s moves before they made them, meaning she could pre-emptively counter their spells. Her knowledge of duelling spells had never been the strongest, but knowledge of the opponent’s next move made amends for that. From fourth year onwards, she was a formidable duelling force, easily getting on her house team and guiding them to much success in the inter-house duelling competition.

Legilimency didn’t always work in duels. If she came up against an Occlumens then it would be decided on skill alone. Some non-Occlumens also somehow disguised their next moves, usually without knowing. A notable example of this was Queenie’s sister, Tina. Usually she could read Tina like an open book, but when it came to a duel, Tina’s mind became blank and slippery to attempted intrusions. Queenie felt a small smile on her face as she remembered practicing duelling with her sister in one of Ilvermorny’s secluded courtyards.

Guilt flushed into Queenie’s soul at the thought of Tina, so she squashed the memory down. She had an upcoming duel to prepare for. The past would hold no answers for her. Worrying about Mulciber hiding his thoughts was unnecessary as she had already determined his mind shouted them out like no one could hear. She was comfortable that she would win. There was a small sense of excitement tickling away in the back of her mind as well. She hadn’t duelled since she graduated from Ilvermorny, deciding that the professional duelling leagues weren’t the career path she wanted to take. Queenie would be lying if she said she didn’t sometimes miss the way adrenaline rushed through her body as the spells flew.

After practising her wand movements for several hours, Queenie deemed that she had spent sufficient time in preparation. Glancing at the small clock on her end table, she realised it was already ten to seven. She pushed open her room doors just as Credence appeared to begin knocking on them. Queenie jumped back in surprise, but Credence seemed unfazed.

‘Credence? What are you doing here?’

‘I’m going to come with you.’

Credence’s thoughts revealed he was unlikely to budge on this stance, so Queenie brushed past him, waving for him to follow.

‘Come on then, we don’t want to be late!’

They arrived at the location of the duel on the dot of seven o’clock. Queenie was unsurprised to see Mulciber and some of his cronies waiting for them. Judging by the chatter of thoughts, they were trying to intimidate her into standing down. It only made her more determined to beat Mulciber.

‘Hello Mulciber. Were you so scared of me that you had to bring some friends to feel tough?’

‘Shut up, freak. Let’s duel.’

Mulciber pulled a gnarled black wand from his holster and held it in the wizard’s salute. Queenie returned the salute with her wand. They both then stood prepared, waiting for the other to make a move. Queenie wriggled into his mind, watching his wand and reading his thoughts.

_‘Incendio!’_

Queenie threw up a quick shield charm before Mulciber could even make the wand movement. The incendiary charm dissipated harmlessly against the shield. Mulciber had a surprised look on his face, so Queenie shot him a smirk.

_‘Confringo! Stupefy!’_

Queenie fired a containment charm at the wall where the Blasting Curse was aimed and then hit Mulciber with a Leg-Locker Curse before he could even cast his Stunning Spell. Mulciber hit the ground hard with a yelp of pain, and Queenie decided to seize the advantage.

‘Wingardium Leviosa!’ she shouted.

Mulciber flew into the air, making a solid impact with the stone roof. Once he was up there, Queenie released him from the spell, causing him to fall and hit the ground again. He managed to cast Finite however, releasing him from the Leg-Locker Curse.

Mulciber looked at her with deep malice behind his eyes. His thoughts revealed that he was still unsure of how she was keeping a step ahead of him with every move. Fortunately, this meant that he still quite clearly broadcast to Queenie his next move. 

_‘Cruc-‘_

Queenie didn’t let him finish the thought. She threw a vicious Stinging Hex at his torso, causing him to keel over in pain. She then fired a Confundus Charm at his prone form. As he slowly got up, he looked rather befuddled as to what was going on, eyes darting around. He seemed to slowly realise he was meant to be duelling, and he threw a random spell in Queenie’s direction. It was easily blocked by a quick shield Queenie put up. He fired another one, which Queenie just had to step out of the way to avoid, as it was wildly off-target. As she did this, she noticed that Mulciber’s earlier Blasting Curse had caused several bricks to come loose.

‘Petrificus Totalus!’

Queenie spun around at the shout to see one of Mulciber’s cronies fall under the effects of the Full Body-Bind Curse, with Credence standing over him with his wand. She looked at Credence for an explanation.

‘He was sneaking up behind you, so I hit him with the Body-Bind.’

Queenie beamed in thanks and pride at Credence successfully casting a curse, before turning back to Mulciber and the rest of his gang. Mulciber appeared to still be recovering from the Confundus Charm and the rest of the gang had their wands at their sides.

‘Well, if that’s how you want to do this. Oppugno!’ Queenie said, wand pointed at the loose bricks in the wall.

The bricks flew out towards Mulciber and the rest. As though they had a mind of their own, they began attacking the group. Viciously dive-bombing at their heads, the bricks proceeded to chase Mulciber and his gang away.

Once they were gone, Queenie flicked her wand to end the enchantment and put her wand away again.

‘I told you I could handle them, Credence. Now, do you want…’ Queenie trailed off when she turned to Credence.

Gellert Grindelwald, Vinda Rosier and Tobias Yatherly stood in the doorway, looking at her. Queenie’s blood ran cold.

‘Now, Miss Goldstein, what do we have here?’ Grindelwald drawled.

‘Oh, uh, Mister Grindelwald sir –‘

‘Gellert my dear, please.’

‘Mister Gellert sir, Mulciber insulted Creden – Aurelius, I mean – and myself, so I punched him. He then challenged me to a duel, which is what, uh, we were doing here.’

There was a glint in Grindelwald’s eye as she explained how events had led to this point. He shared a glance with Tobias and Rosier, appearing to communicate something. She couldn’t hear what any of them were saying in their mind. Queenie guessed that Rosier had been training her Occlumens ability. The trio seemed to finish their silent conversation.

‘Aurelius my boy, go with Vinda and Mister Yatherly back to your room. Queenie, walk with me.’ Grindelwald said.

Credence shot a worried glance at Queenie, but she gave him a smile and waved him along. Tobias and Rosier led him up the stairs in the direction of his room, leaving Queenie and Grindelwald alone in the hallway. Grindelwald gestured for her to stand beside him as he started to walk. After a short period of silence, Grindelwald stopped and turned to Queenie.

‘You defeated Mulciber then?’

‘Yes, Mister Gellert. I used to duel quite successfully at school.’ Queenie paused. ‘The Legilimency helps.’

‘Impressive my dear. Have you heard what happened in Leipzig?’

Queenie looked at Grindelwald. His face betrayed nothing, but she recognised that he was testing her. She saw no reason to lie.

‘No. I haven’t.’

Grindelwald gave her a soft smile.

‘We were ambushed by Aurors. Someone had given our plans away.’

Queenie was surprised. Everyone seemed especially devoted to Grindelwald here. She’d heard them both say it and think it.

‘Grimmson was captured, and Abernathy was killed. Two lieutenants lost in one battle.’ Grindelwald said.

‘Oh, I’m so sorry! I never got on well with Abernathy but –‘

Grindelwald cut her off with a raised hand.

‘Abernathy was the traitor. He tried to disarm me in the battle, so I was forced to kill him.’ Grindelwald said, a tinge of sadness noticeable in his tone.

Queenie had no words for this. Abernathy had always been a cruel boss to her sister when she had been demoted, and he was only nice to her because of her looks. But he had seemed loyal, and she hadn’t wanted him dead. Obviously, she had been wrong about his loyalty.

‘It leaves an opening in my inner circle for a loyal follower.’

Queenie looked at him, stunned.

‘Are you saying…’

‘Yes, my dear. I want you to take that place. You are a talented witch, and you have the mind of a strategist.’

‘I’m – I’m honoured. But I think that you have me wrong.’

‘No, my dear Queenie, I don’t. You are the one for the position. Vinda and Mister Yatherly agree.’

Grindelwald’s words ignited a fire of courage in Queenie’s chest. He had never let her down. He believed in her, so she should believe in herself. She matched Grindelwald’s gaze, and she knew her eyes were burning with determination.

‘I’m in.’

Grindelwald gave her a much wider smile and clapped his hands together.

‘Then come on, my dear. We have much work to do!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like this chapter. Queenie always struck me as fiercely protective.  
> I also always assumed she'd be a damn good dueller due to being able to read her opponent's minds.  
> I hope the little backstory I gave her is acceptable.
> 
> Next chapter is set from Jacob's point of view at Hogwarts (I've been looking forward to this one).  
> Thanks for reading!


	6. A Castle to Call Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob is forced to live at Hogwarts.
> 
> This is him adjusting to life there, and facing his inner demons about Queenie.

Jacob

Jacob stepped out of the Floo network and into Hogwarts. The queasiness he had felt from his first trip in the Floo wasn’t as bad this time around. Tough stone bricks that lined Hogwarts’ floors helped him keep a sure footing. Theseus gave him an arm for support as Newt and Tina stepped out.

‘That’s everyone. Follow me, I’ll take you to Professor Dumbledore.’ Theseus said.

With a wave of his hand, the door swung open to allow the group to enter the hallway. As they did, Jacob heard Tina’s sharp intake of breath. What they were looking at was impressive. A large passageway greeted them, containing hundreds of moving staircases, going up and down. Theseus led them to one of the many points on their floor to which a staircase connected and waited for a staircase. Despite the wonder of Hogwarts, Jacob found it hard to enjoy it.

It was hard for Jacob to find enjoyment in anything since that fateful night in Paris. It was as if someone had pulled the soul out of him and replaced it with a clockwork contraption. He found himself going through the motions on good days and struggling to put one foot in front of the other on bad days. He barely felt anything more than a spark of excitement in life. He knew it was ridiculous; he was his own person and his happiness should be controlled by him and him alone. Yet love made the brain do ridiculous things. His love for Queenie had been one of the few constants in his new life in which he knew about magic. His world had expanded tenfold and Queenie was someone he could tether himself to, so to himself from floating away into the new world.

Jacob was briefly distracted from his thoughts by the loud clunking of a staircase creaking into place. He followed the other three onto the staircase – which quickly started to move again – and tried to stay out of his thoughts by taking in the magic of Hogwarts. The last time he had been here, he had only seen the outside before Tina had taken him back to New York. This time he was getting the full experience; the nooks and crannies of the school in full view. Even in his emotional state, Jacob could feel the magic as he eyed a portrait wink at him, a ghost float through a wall, some kids practice spells in the corridors, and a suit of armour walking itself through the hallways. However, the Queenie-shaped hole in his heart ripped open when he saw Newt pointing out parts of the castle to Tina and couldn’t help but think of Queenie doing that for him whenever they found themselves somewhere magic.

He knew it was selfish to want Newt and Tina to stop for his own sake, but he wanted it anyway. Blossoming love was a different sort of magic, a tangible magic that Jacob himself could feel – but only with Queenie. Seeing others go through it when he couldn’t hurt.

He had obviously been staring a little too long, because Tina met his eyes with an inquisitive look. He knew, from living with her, that she was asking if something was wrong. He gave his best Jacob smile - despite not feeling it in the slightest – and hoped it was enough to avoid any tough questions.

Either way, no questions would come, as the staircase suddenly stopped, and Theseus gestured for them to follow. He led them slightly further down the hall then stopped about halfway down. A thick oak door stood in front of them, with a small gold plaque centred above the handle.

**PROFESSOR ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**

_Transfiguration and DADA_

Jacob recognised the name from Newt. He had been one of Newt’s teachers. Tina obviously recognised the name as well, looking extremely eager to meet the man. Theseus moved to knock on the door, but it opened before he could make any contact.

‘Come on in!’ called a man’s voice from within.

Entering, Jacob was surprised by how normal the office looked. Wooden shelves stacked with books lined the walls, and there was a satin couch by an old-looking fireplace. On the other side of the room there was a large mahogany desk, piled with yellowy parchments and open text books. Sat at the desk was a middle-aged man in a grey three-piece suit. He beamed at them through a well-trimmed brown beard, his eyes twinkling behind half moon spectacles. Even without the plaque, Jacob would’ve known this was Albus Dumbledore. He somehow exuded authority, personality, and power even just sitting behind his desk.

‘Ah, Theseus. Glad to see you back.’ Dumbledore said.

‘Professor. You already know Newt, but this is Miss Goldstein and Mister Kowalski, as you requested.’ Theseus replied.

‘Ah! Newt’s said many good things about the two of you, it’s a pleasure to be able to put a face to the tales.’

Jacob didn’t fail to notice the blush appear on Tina’s face, while Newt glanced at the floor, shifting nervously. He was simply confused as to whether he should say something. Fortunately, Tina, ever the professional, spoke up.

‘Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. We’ve certainly heard good things about you. We thank you for your hospitality before we return to New York.’

Jacob wasn’t expecting Tina’s rather banal statement to cause such a bother. Dumbledore looked at Theseus rather pointedly and Theseus gave him a casual shrug. With a frighteningly serious look in his eyes, Dumbledore refocused his attention on Jacob and Tina.

‘I’m afraid – for your safety – that you won’t be returning to New York.’ he said gravely.

Tina was the first to process what Dumbledore had said. Jacob was still playing it through his head, thoughts rocketing to his bakery.

‘What?’ Tina asked incredulously.

‘Grindelwald knows who you both are. His followers are stretching MACUSA thin. They simply can’t protect you anymore. Due to your closeness with Newt, you are prime targets for him. Staying at Hogwarts is the safest option.’ Theseus explained.

‘You don’t understand. My bakery is in New York – it’s all I’ve got left. I can’t leave it.’ Jacob said, knowing he sounded extremely desperate.

‘I’m sorry Mister Kowalski, but your life is in grave danger. To return to New York would be suicide.’ Dumbledore said in a very soft voice.

‘You both could… could stay with me. My home is protected by about fifteen different wards and charms. It’s as safe as a place can be.’ Newt said, finally adding to the conversation.

Tina seemed to immediately be a little more accepting of the idea.

‘If I have to stay in England, I’ll stay with Newt.’ she said, chin lifted.

‘Very well. What about you, Mister Kowalski?’ Dumbledore asked, turning his focus to Jacob.

Jacob looked around at his friends, then at Theseus and Dumbledore. Part of him wanted to stay with Newt and Tina. He’d already lived with Tina for a month, and Newt was his closest friend nowadays. But he would be expected to be like he was before Paris the whole time he was there. As insane as it sounded – even in his head – he wasn’t ready to be Jacob again. On the little adventure to the Mojave and then Leipzig, he was willing to act like nothing was wrong, because he didn’t want Newt and Tina to get hurt. Now that they were safe, his façade would likely break. The difference between this and living with Tina for a month in Jacob’s mind was his bakery. Queenie tore a hole in his heart, but his bakery plastered over the cracks. It was a way for him to absorb himself in some sense of normalcy, to give his life – which was rapidly spiralling out of his control – a regular pattern. If Jacob couldn’t have his bakery, he couldn’t be the friend Newt and Tina would want him to be.

‘I – I don’t mean offence by this Newt. I just, uh, think I should stay at Hogwarts.’

Newt looked a little put out by this, but Tina whispered something in his ear which seemed to settle him. Theseus looked at Jacob, his eyes piercing. Jacob felt like Newt’s brother was judging him in some way, but his expression was unreadable.

‘Very well. Newt, you and Miss Goldstein may return to your flat. Theseus, you’ll come with Mister Kowalski and I to talk to Headmaster Ballywog about our new resident.’ Dumbledore said rather finally, ending the conversation.

Jacob was going to wait for Theseus and Dumbledore, but Tina grabbed his arm and pulled him outside with her and Newt.

‘Jacob, what’s wrong?’ she asked.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.” Jacob replied, hoping his voice didn’t waver.

‘You don’t have to lie to us.’ Newt said, glancing at the floor.

It was obvious that Newt was right. These two were his closest friends. They wouldn’t dump him by the wayside for how he was feeling.

‘Look, I love you both, but I can’t live with you. You’ll want the regular Jacob, from before Paris. I can’t be that for you. I just – I just need time to think things through.’

Newt and Tina said nothing, and Jacob’s heart started beating a lot faster. What if he had been wrong? Newt and Tina lost people too, and yet here he was, selfishly thinking of only himself, disregarding his friends. He felt a slight sweat roll down his forehead, and his panic increased. Before he could blurt anything else out, Tina pulled him into a hug.

‘It’s okay.’ she whispered into his ear. ‘We all need time. Just remember that Queenie wasn’t the only one who loved you.’

As she broke apart the hug, Newt held out a hand. Jacob took it and they shook firmly.

‘Keep in contact and don’t be afraid to visit. The Occamy you hatched still misses you.’ Newt said with a smile.

Jacob was too choked up on tears to say anything, but his friends gathered the sentiment. Newt gave him one last pat on the back before he took Tina’s arm, guiding her back to the Floo. Jacob watched them go, feeling slightly better about things.

*******

The Headmaster of Hogwarts had been away on business when Jacob had arrived, so it was a few days after Newt and Tina had left when Theseus and Dumbledore finally took Jacob to meet him. Jacob had most certainly not been prepared for the sight of the Headmaster’s office. Where Dumbledore’s had been relatively simple and like an office Jacob would’ve seen in his world, the Headmaster’s office was a complete mess. The walls were lined with portraits – all moving, some chattering with each other – presumably of past Headmasters. His desk was covered in different assortments of bits and bobs that looked suspiciously like eyes and other sufficiently gross and slimy animal parts.

The Headmaster himself was dressed in robes that were both a soft and bright pink, with a very bright yellow pointed hat that Jacob thought clashed quite badly with the robes. The black hair on his head was cut close to the scalp with spots of grey dotted around, giving the sides of his head the look of a speckled egg. Warm green shot out from squinted and beady eyes. Deep wrinkles were around his eyes and slight wrinkles hid at the corners of his lips. Jacob placed his age as late fifties. He looked exceptionally excited to see the three of them, a wide smile showing very white yet crooked teeth.

‘Ah! I’ve been looking forward to this! Theseus Scamander, back from his little adventure, and a Muggle in Hogwarts! Albus, you have outdone yourself!’

‘Yes, Mister Kowalski needed a place to stay now that he’s become a target for Grindelwald.’

‘Mister Kowalski! IT IS A PLEASURE TO HOST A MUGGLE IN HOGWARTS!’ the Headmaster said with more volume than was required. ‘I am Headmaster Baldor Ballywog. I do hope that you’ll enjoy your stay with us, despite the circumstances of the whole ordeal!’

Ballywog held out his hand, so Jacob shook it. Apparently Ballywog had been fiddling with the assortment of gross things on his desk, because his hand was unsettlingly slimy to the touch. Jacob tried to hide his grimace as he wiped his hands on the legs of his pants.

‘Of course, the wonderful Mister Kowalski isn’t the only reason I wanted to talk to you. Albus, I hear you want to leave the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position?’ Ballywog said, tone turning serious.

Dumbledore smiled at the Headmaster and nodded.

‘You would have heard correctly. Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts are both very work-heavy subjects to study and teach. I can’t do both, and my passion is for Transfiguration, so my skills would be put to better use if I solely taught it.’

‘That is perfectly understandable. However, it leaves us in the position of having no Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Do you have any replacements in mind, Albus?’

Dumbledore smiled, wider this time, and Jacob noticed a very clear twinkle in his eyes.

‘I would suggest Mister Theseus Scamander here. He’s more than capable of teaching, and his knowledge of the subject is high due to his current profession as an Auror.’

Theseus looked completely stunned, but Ballywog looked extremely pleased with the suggestion.

‘Yes, yes, that makes perfect sense. Becoming the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor would give you a permanent residence at Hogwarts, and the children could learn so much from you. What do you say Theseus?’

Theseus spluttered a bit, before grabbing Jacob and pulling him outside.

‘Look, we don’t know each other all that well, but I needed to talk to someone that wasn’t Dumbledore or Ballywog.’

‘About what?’ Jacob asked, confused.

‘About the job offer! I don’t know if I can take it, with Grindelwald still on the loose…’

‘Do you want the job?’

Theseus paused at Jacob’s question. Jacob waited patiently for an answer.

‘Yes. I do. These are dark times, and I want to help our future generations defend themselves. The teaching position is the perfect way to do that. I just… I can’t leave the Aurors now, can I?’ Theseus finally said.

‘If you want it, take it. Grindelwald’s already taken so much from us. Don’t let him take anything else; don’t let him be the reason for not doing something like this.’

Theseus didn’t give him an answer, but Jacob knew he had made his mind up. He followed him back into the Headmaster’s office and stood by him.

‘Well? Can I give you the the job?’ Ballywog asked.

‘I’ll take it, Headmaster.’ Theseus answered confidently.

‘Brilliant! You start next week. Albus will take you through the lesson structure.’

*******

It had been a few days since Theseus had accepted the job offer, and he had gone to the Ministry to inform them that he was leaving his position as Head Auror. He had promised Jacob that he would bring back any news, so Jacob found himself waiting by the Floo in Theseus’ office for his return.

The fireplace flashed in green flame, and Theseus stepped out. He was holding a newspaper, which he threw down on the table in front of Jacob.

‘I’m sorry.’ he said, leaving the office.

Jacob was about to follow him out to ask what for, but the headline on the newspaper’s front page caught his eye. Further reading of the article explained exactly why Theseus had apologised.

**GRINDELWALD ATTACK ON MUGGLE BUSINESS!**

_Yesterday evening, a Muggle establishment known as Kowalski’s Quality Baked Goods caught fire and caused massive destruction in the neighbourhood. While many suspected that this fire was perhaps purely of Muggle origin, Madam Picquery (President of MACUSA) came out with a shocking statement an hour after the fire was stopped. “We at MACUSA wish to be as transparent as possible. This was not an incident caused by No-Maj ignorance,” she said to a group of representatives from major wizarding nations. “We can confirm that this was a directed attack from Gellert Grindelwald, perpetuated by his followers. We promise to release more information as we find out exactly what happened here, and why.”_

_This statement has reportedly stunned Aurors around the world. Why would Grindelwald risk members of his movement like this, so soon after an embarrassing defeat in Leipzig? We at the Daily Prophet may have found an answer to such pressing questions. The Muggle bakery was owned by Jacob Kowalski, a known Muggle associate of the famous author Newt Scamander. Mr Scamander was seen in Leipzig with his brother. Is this a threat from Grindelwald for Britain’s beloved Magizoologist? And where is this mysterious Jacob Kowalski?_

The article was accompanied by a moving black and white picture of Jacob’s beloved bakery in flames. Jacob, tears forming in his eyes, watched the fire consume every corner of his shop. He hoped that none of his workers had been in the bakery when the followers of Grindelwald decided to burn it to the ground. A few lone tears slowly rolled their way down and off the tip of his nose, blotching some of the newsprint.

The office door opened again, so Jacob quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve as to not give away the fact he had been crying. Theseus had returned from wherever else he had been in the castle. Jacob peered up from the newspaper to see Theseus looking at him. There was an obvious look of concern on his face. Jacob got up, hoping to be able to leave before Theseus could start to say anything. Theseus obviously had other ideas, placing a firm hand on his shoulder and lightly pushing him back down into his seat. He took a seat himself across from Jacob.

‘I am sorry about your bakery, Mister Kowalski.’

‘You already said that.’ Jacob said, forcing out a meek laugh.

Theseus ignored the joke and pushed on.

‘It meant a lot to you, didn’t it?’

Jacob could see that trying to brush Theseus off wouldn’t work. He decided that honesty was probably the best policy, especially considering that Theseus was a trained investigator. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat before answering.

‘It was my life’s dream. I poured everything I had into that bakery. Now it’s gone in flames.’

Theseus levelled a stern look at him. Jacob quickly glanced away, looking for anything in the room to look at other than Theseus.

‘That’s not all, is it?’ Theseus asked firmly.

‘It was where I first started to remember magic. It was where I rediscovered Queenie. It was all I had left of her after…’

Jacob let _Paris_ stay unspoken, but Theseus knew exactly what he meant. The former Auror dragged his hands down over his face, a deep breath escaping his pursed lips that came out as more of a hiss.

‘I know the events in Paris were hard – life-changing even – but you can’t let it control your life.’

‘Mr Scamander, you don’t understand –‘ 

‘No, Mr Kowalski, I _do_ understand.’ Theseus snapped. ‘In case you’d forgotten, Grindelwald killed both my fiancée and almost an entire Auror contingent under my command in that very same tomb. I get it. I blamed myself too. I should’ve done more, I should’ve been able to protect them all; that’s what I told myself. After Leta died, I threw myself into work with Dumbledore. It consumed me. Soon I was forgetting to eat, sleep and drink. My relationships with others deteriorated. By letting what happened in Paris consume your thoughts, you’re going down the same path. It only leads to you hurting yourself and your friends.

‘My brother and Miss Goldstein suffered as well. Miss Goldstein lost a sister and Newt lost one of the few childhood friends he had. You said you couldn’t be the regular Jacob, but they don’t need that. They need their friend. And you need them too, more than you currently realise.

‘I have lesson plans to complete with Professor Dumbledore, but please think on what I’ve said. Don’t let the world pass you by anymore.’

Jacob watched in stunned silence as Theseus left the room. His mind was racing with thoughts, all related to Theseus’ speech. The man was completely right. Had Jacob not said the same to Theseus only days earlier? He had let the events of Paris consume his life, while telling others to look past them. If Jacob was honest, they still did. He hadn’t even thought about the losses of others. How could he have been so selfish?

Despite this realisation, Jacob couldn’t just stop thinking about Queenie and Paris. He wondered how Theseus could’ve possibly done it. The sorrow he felt was so powerful in his soul. He had no barricades around his heart; his darkness simply pounded on it, weighing it down.

*******

That night, Jacob couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, but not a single ounce of drowsiness would come to relieve him the race of thoughts in his head. They dwelled on Theseus’ words, Queenie’s departure, and how to stop it from consuming his very soul. Resignedly, he accepted the fact he wasn’t going to sleep. Getting up, covers strewn all over the bed, Jacob decided to investigate the castle he was calling home. He didn't know much about it in all honesty. He had kept mainly to his room - which was remarkably unmagical - and Theseus's office, which had very little going on in it. If he had been asked if he was adjusting well, he would've said yes; but it was only because he was hiding away from the world.

Jacob immediately wished he had brought a light of some variety. The long hallways of Hogwarts had very little light, barely allowing Jacob to see a foot in front of him. He pressed forward anyway, hoping he wouldn’t fall off some ledge or step on a magic trap of some kind. For a school, Hogwarts sure was dangerous.

Fortunately, none of his fears came true, and Jacob found himself standing outside a room that had light shining out from under the door. Hoping to be able to see something, Jacob pulled the door open to reveal the room behind. Dull white light rushed out of the room to greet him as he entered. The room was of medium, similar in size to what Jacob would expect of a classroom. Except there was no desks or chairs. There wasn’t a blackboard for the teacher to write on. In fact, the room was completely empty except for a tall object covered in a velvet blanket in the middle. Strangely drawn to it, Jacob pulled the blanket down to reveal a tall mirror.

Jacob was a little disappointed that the only thing he had found on his little jaunt though Hogwarts was a mirror. Then he looked at his reflection. He almost fell over in shock when in the mirror looking back at him was Queenie, standing by his side. Jacob glanced around the room, and even called her name, but he quickly realised that she was only in the reflection.

She was as beautiful as he remembered. Her golden locks were well-maintained, sculpted around her face. Her eyes contained a sharpness, but also love. Her mouth was curled in a beaming smile that made Jacob’s heart swell. Looking into this mirror and seeing the woman he loved made Jacob the happiest he had been in a long time.

He stayed there for a long time, entirely unsure of how many minutes or hours had passed. But he was starting to feel his eyelids get heavy. Not wanting to be found asleep in this room by any of the Hogwarts staff, he left the mirror, staring back at it longingly, and somehow made it back to his bed. It sounded crazy, but Jacob had a feeling the castle had guided him back.

Jacob started to visit the mirror every night, looking at Queenie beaming. He told the reflection all about what had happened since Paris, updates on Newt and Tina’s fledgling romance. One night, as he was telling reflection Queenie about how she looked as perfect as he remembered, he was interrupted.

‘She looks as perfect as you remember because the mirror is using your memory to project her reflection.’

Jacob turned his head to see Professor Dumbledore smiling sadly at him.

‘How do you know that?’ he asked accusingly.

‘This is the Mirror of Erised, Mr Kowalski. It shows the deepest desire of your heart. For you, that desire is to be with the woman you love once again.’

Jacob looked back at the mirror. Queenie was still beaming happily back at him. He suspected that, deep down, he knew that she wasn’t real, but his conscious mind was unwilling to accept it.

‘People have been known to get lost staring at their reflection in this mirror. They get so consumed by their desire that they forget about all else in the world until they fade away. It is a dangerous mirror, Mr Kowalski. Do not let yourself become one of those people. Your desires will never become actuality if you waste your life away looking at their reflection.’

Dumbledore’s warning that shook Jacob to his core. It had seemed to be a harmless mirror. Yet he realised the absurdity of it all. He had been so consumed by the thought of Queenie that he had been talking to a reflection of her, instead of working in the real world to bring her back. Theseus’ words rang back in his mind, combining with Dumbledore’s warnings about desires. What he had thought impossible seemingly occurred instantaneously. The thought of Queenie suddenly lost its iron grip on his heart, freeing him to fly up to the land of the present.

Jacob draped the velvet blanket back over the mirror and walked to the door. Dumbledore followed him out, closing the door behind him. They walked in silence, until Jacob blurted out a question that came to mind.

‘What do you see in the mirror then?’

Jacob shut his mouth as fast as he had opened it, but Dumbledore just gave him a smile, eyes twinkling.

‘I see all my students’ Transfiguration essays completely marked. Merlin knows there’s a pile of them on my desk.’

Jacob immediately suspected that Dumbledore wasn’t telling the truth. He didn’t pry further though; it was a rather personal question.

*******

The next evening, while the students were at dinner, Jacob walked to Dumbledore’s office. He knew Dumbledore and Theseus would be there, completing further experiments on the Blood Pact that stopped Dumbledore from fighting Grindelwald.

Reaching the office, he pulled the door open and walked in determinedly.

‘I want to help you destroy this Blood Pact… thing. It was about time I made myself useful.’ he said to the two surprised men.

Theseus shot him a cheeky smirk.

‘Welcome back, Mr Kowalski.'

And for the first time since Paris, Jacob truly felt that he was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter from Jacob's perspective!  
> What'd you all think? I quite liked it myself!  
> And now Theseus is the DADA Professor, tying up that random plot hole of Dumbledore teaching the subject in Crimes of Grindelwald.
> 
> Next chapter is Tina - in tandem with this chapter - adjusting to living in Newt Scamander's house.
> 
> Comments are both welcome and appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Finding a Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina moves into Newt's home and tries to sort out her feelings.

Tina

They had left Hogwarts rather quickly, despite Tina wanting to stay and explore. Newt hadn’t seen his beasts in about a week, and she couldn’t delay that reunion after seeing his eyes go almost puppy-like in longing. Although, if Tina was honest with herself, she was eager to see all Newt’s beasts again. It had been almost a year since New York, where she last saw them all; she had only seen the Zouwu in Paris.

They had to leave the Hogwarts grounds, as Newt did not have a Floo installed. Once they passed the threshold, Newt held his arm out for Tina, which she took – perhaps a little too excitedly, she thought to herself – and felt the familiar pull of disapparation drag her from the gates to a dull street in a smoggy city.

‘ _This_ is London?’ Tina said, disappointed at how dirty it all was.

‘Yes. It’s rather disgusting. I do wish the Muggles would clean up after themselves.’

Tina felt her heart swell at the sight of Newt scrunching his face in disdain at the state of London. He had written in a letter that he wanted a place for all beasts to live well, and a polluted city was not conducive to that. Thoughtfulness of that variety came naturally to Newt, and Tina knew that, yet whenever he demonstrated it, her love for him grew.

Tina froze as she realised the words she had used. Her _love_ for him. Heartbeats rapidly increasing in pace, she considered her thoughts. Did she love him, truly? She had only known him for a year or so, and half of that time she had been trying to dislike him. And yet, the reason for her enmity was because she had thought he was going to marry Leta. Whether she liked it or not, cutting someone out of her life because they were marrying a different person was certainly not something one did to a friend. How could she have felt so betrayed by the news, if she hadn’t already fallen deep in love with the Magizoologist in front of her? But their relationship wasn’t ready for love. They had only just started, and Tina had always thought that love at first sight was complete rubbish.

‘Tina!’

The shout tore Tina out of her thoughts. Looking around, she realised with embarrassment that she had literally stopped on the sidewalk. Newt was glancing at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

‘I’m sorry to yell. You just didn’t respond to me saying your name normally.’

‘It’s okay. I was just wondering where your house is.’

Tina cringed at her reasoning. Fortunately – and somewhat surprisingly – Newt’s face lit up, as if her excuse hadn’t been the stupidest thing anyone had ever said.

‘I completely forgot! I live at 9 Sherringford Square, right at the end of this street.’

To Tina’s amazement, a house suddenly pushed into existence between two other houses. Tina found herself wondering how she hadn’t managed to see it in the first place, as it was quite clearly and obviously there.

‘It’s under the Fidelius Charm,’ Newt explained, as if he had read her mind. ‘Dumbledore cast it after New York. He was certain Grindelwald would escape and that he would want revenge, so I agreed.’

‘That Dumbledore certainly is a talented man. The Fidelius Charm is by no means easy to cast.’ Tina said, impressed.

‘He certainly is. The Fidelius has also proven unbelievably useful in deterring some of my more… determined admirers.’ Newt said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

Tina felt a twinge of jealousy. She told herself she was being ridiculous. Newt had just told her he was trying to avoid them. Besides, she wasn’t the controller of his life. What he did in his time was his business. Still, a little voice ate away at the back of her mind.

_You can’t trust him._

Keeping control of her emotions was not as easy as Tina would’ve liked.

‘We’re here.’

Tina looked up to see Newt’s townhouse looming over her. Newt walked up the front steps and knocked three times in rapid succession, then paused for a few seconds, before knocking another six times. He seemed to notice the bewildered look on Tina’s face, and he shot her a small smile.

‘It’s a code I have with Bunty – she’s my assistant. The knocks allow us to know it’s one of us, and not someone else. We are the ones that are in the house the most often, you see.’

As if summoned by name, the door opened and a girl that Tina assumed was Bunty appeared on the doorstep. She had bushy, curly bright red hair and was wearing a dull green dress, covered in patches of different colours. Her face had brightened significantly when she saw who was at the door.

‘Newt! You’re back!’ she said, pulling him into a hug.

Newt’s face was the colour of a beetroot as he rather awkwardly wriggled his way out of Bunty’s embrace. Tina could feel the nasty snake of jealousy slither its way back in. Fortunately, Bunty seemed notice Tina and catch a hint, letting go of Newt rather quickly.

‘Hi. I’m Tina Goldstein.’ Tina said, holding a hand out.

Bunty shook her hand and smiled at her, though the smile seemed a little weak.

‘Bunty Weasley. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Goldstein. I’ve heard a lot of good things.’

Tina’s heart swelled dramatically in her chest, though she tried not to let it show on her face. Newt was looking at the sky, as though he was hoping a lightning bolt might strike him down in that moment.

‘Well, there’s no point standing on the doorstep. Come on in, please!’ Bunty said, stepping aside as to invite them in.

Newt gestured for Tina to lead the way, so she stepped into apartment. The entrance was about as underwhelming as it could possibly be. It looked exactly like an average townhouse. Tina conceded that hoping to be greeted by an Occamy or Demiguise may have been asking for a bit much.

Bunty led the two of them from the entrance into a small drawing room. It had a small hearth in the corner, which was already burning quite steadily. There were parchments and quills strewn all over the coffee table. As Newt rather hurriedly pushed them into a pile, several sketches of different beasts caught her eye. Bunty stood by another door that connected the drawing room to the kitchen.

‘Do either of you want a hot drink? I had just put the kettle on before you knocked, you see.’

‘A tea would be lovely –‘

‘For both of us, thank you.’ Tina interrupted, eager to have some time alone with Newt.

Bunty shot her another strange look before heading into the kitchen. Tina quickly glanced at Newt to make sure she hadn’t offended him with her interruption, but he was already busying himself with the locks on his case. Swinging the case open, he whistled loudly into the case, before stepping back.

‘Normally I would bring them out myself, but there’s only four of them in there at the moment.’

The case rattled slightly before the Swooping Evil flew out with a screech. It glided around the room twice, before settling itself on Newt’s back. He hunched slightly to give it a more comfortable position. Next out of the case was Mildred. She leapt up, knocked over a chair, before padding over to Tina. She indulged the Wampus cat with a scratch behind the ears. Pickett the Bowtruckle was next out, and Newt dipped down, hand out, to pick the small creature up. Pickett regarded him for a few seconds, before chirping curtly and putting his chin up.

‘Don’t be like that, Pickett. I’m sorry I left you in the case. It was too dangerous for you to travel in my pocket. I just didn’t want you to get hurt.’

With his free hand, Newt held open the top pocket of his coat. Pickett glanced from the pocket to Newt, before hopping into the pocket with a happy chirp. Tina gave a dumb grin. She’d forgotten just how much she had missed Newt interacting with his creatures, and his creatures interacting with him.

There was an obvious sniffling noise heading in the direction of the kitchen. Tina looked down fast enough to see the elusive Niffler dive out from underneath a dresser into the kitchen. She opened her mouth to warn Bunty, but there was a loud shattering noise, and several curse words loudly shouted. Bunty walked back into the room, the front of her dress covered in tea, holding the struggling Niffler by its hind legs.

‘Newt, did you happen to forget that you took the Niffler to the United States with you? He’s just broken the teapot – pouring the tea all over me, might I add. Tried to steal two teaspoons and your mother’s –‘

‘Yes, yes, thank you for catching him, Bunty. How about I take these four downstairs now?’

Newt rushed past Tina, hustling Mildred along and grabbing the Niffler from Bunty’s grasp. Tina didn’t fail to notice that he was rather unsubtlety avoiding eye contact with her, and his face had a rather deep blush to it. She looked to Bunty, who seemed to have a rather resigned expression on her face, as if this was a regular occurrence. Which, with Newt, it probably was.

‘Sorry about that, Miss Goldstein. I shouldn’t have mentioned his mother’s – well, never mind that. There’s probably some tea left to salvage. You still want a cup?’

Tina vaguely nodded. There was something on her mind that she wanted settled. Bunty had already gone into the kitchen, so Tina followed her in. The teapot had been fixed with a quick Mending Charm, and Bunty was now kneeling on the ground, siphoning the spilt tea off the floor and out of her dress. She must’ve realised Tina was standing in the kitchen with her, because she stood up and faced her.

‘Did you want something?’

‘What’s the relationship between you and Newt?’ Tina blurted out.

Bunty let out a small laugh, which was probably the last thing Tina had been expecting.

‘I had feelings for him, but it was hard to feel as if I had a chance when he wouldn’t stop talking about another woman. So, I’m – quite happily – just his assistant.’

Tina felt her heart swell, but she couldn’t completely trust her instincts. She had to have a feeling of certainty.

‘Who’s the woman?’ she asked.

Bunty laughed a lot harder at that question.

‘You’re a talented Auror, Miss Goldstein. I’m sure you can figure it out. Now, why don’t you go and help Newt in the basement? He’s not back yet; I suspect he got distracted.’

Tina felt a little patronised by this woman. She looked younger than Queenie, and yet she was acting like she knew much more than anyone else. Still, Tina wanted to see the famous beast basement of Newt Scamander, so she followed her advice. As she walked down the stairs, Bunty’s words crossed her mind. _I’m sure you can figure it out_. Realistically, Tina knew exactly who the mystery woman was. It was her. Bunty had all but confirmed it previously when she had claimed to have heard a lot of good things already during their introductions. But there was still that voice in the back of her head.

_You can’t trust him._

She’d always suffered from trust issues, ever since her parents had died. The world was a dangerous place for a young girl to grow up by herself, let alone having to raise a younger sister. Tina had made herself tough, never being too trusting, never letting her guard down. It had served her well during school, where no one dared bully her or her sister openly. It had served her well in her Auror duties, rarely getting caught off-guard or unprepared on the job. It did not serve her well in relationships, especially with one Newt Scamander. She was wary that he would get up and leave; find someone else to love. She wasn’t good enough for him, not really, and she wondered how long it would be before he realised this. The lack of a trusting nature only accentuated these thoughts.

Loving Newt hurt, and she accepted that she was in love with him. No one else made her feel the way he did. Spending time with him made her content, happy, and warm. Kissing him had felt so right, sending fireworks shooting madly through her chest. It was as if there could not have possibly been a time without Newt in her life. That was why it hurt; he would find someone else, and she’d be thrown back into a Newt-less existence.  She hated that it hurt. She was an Auror, she had trained herself to be strong, yet she was reduced to weakness at the sight of this – admittedly wonderful – man.

She had been caught in her thoughts too much, as she absent-mindedly missed a step on the staircase and fell forwards. Her heart leapt into her throat and she closed her eyes as the ground rushed to meet her. Before the violent contact could be made, two arms caught her waist and pulled her up. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the face of a very worried looking Newt Scamander.

‘Tina! Are you alright?’ he asked, a slight edge of panic in his voice.

‘It’s okay Newt, you caught me. I’m fine.’ she replied, hoping her voice wouldn’t waver at their proximity from one another.

He released her from his grip and moved backwards, to Tina’s disappointment. She felt like she should say something, but the words died in her throat when the basement finally caught her eye.

It was a cavernous room, far larger than it should’ve been considering the size of the rest of the townhouse. Despite its size, there seemed to be something going on in every corner. The Swooping Evil screeched and swooped in the air, twirling along with a silent Fwooper. In a medium pen, Mildred was playfighting with a Nundu, rolling in the hay. Tina worried for a moment about the Nundu’s poisonous gas, but Newt didn’t seem bothered by the playfighting, so she disregarded the thought. There was no peaceful silence, the room filled with hoots and roars and screeches from all sorts of different beasts.

There was a sorrowful chirp, and Tina turned around to face a depressed-looking bird perched on a table. From the greenish-black of its feathers, and the way some of them stuck up on its head, Tina recognised it as an Augurey from Newt’s book. Tina felt a compulsion to pat its head, but there was a tug at her arm.

She looked down to see another beast. An ape-like creature with wide yellow eyes and a curious, wizened face was looking up at her. Its silky, silvery fur shimmered in the light slightly. Its furless paw was wrapped on her sleeve, tugging her away. It was a Demiguise, and Tina knew him well.

‘Dougal!’ she said excitedly.

Dougal grunted happily in response, pulling Tina towards a small pen in the corner. She let it direct her in, where a large hay nest lay on the ground. Curled up inside were five blue serpents, with a pair of wings and beaked mouths. Knowing them as Occamys, Tina leant in with a smile. They chirped back loudly, all demanding her attention. It seemed they recognised her as well. One was clamouring louder than the others, and Tina surprisingly recognised it as the Occamy she had saved in a department store, all those months ago in New York. It wrapped around in her arms and nuzzled her cheek.

‘You know, I think that was when I realised that I lo – liked you.’

Tina turned to see Newt gazing with admiration at her, Pickett perched on his shoulder. He had removed his overcoat, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Tina liked seeing him in this way. It felt more like a natural Newt, when he was truly comfortable.

‘What do you mean?’ Tina asked.

‘You risked life and limb to help me rescue the Occamy. That was when I realised just how… just how brilliant you are.’

Newt hadn’t made eye contact as he replied, his arms folded around his waist. Tina could sense that he was feeling vulnerable after making the compliment, so she paid him one back.

‘I realised you were brilliant when I saw you interacting with all your creatures afterwards.’

Upon hearing this, Newt actually made eye contact and smiled, but his body language was still closed. Tina silently wished he wouldn’t be so afraid to be open with her. Dougal seemed to sense the sudden awkwardness and bundled the Occamy out of Tina’s hands. He then pulled both Tina and Newt out of the pen, dragging them to a table covered in papers and notes. The Demiguise then clambered onto the table and rather pointedly slapped at a notebook. Newt’s face lit up.

‘Oh! You’re right, Dougal. It is feeding time.’ Newt turned to Tina. ‘You wouldn’t mind helping?’

‘Do I mind? There’s nothing I’d love more than to help!’ Tina replied.

That was how they spent the rest of the afternoon. Tina learnt that you should avoid feeding Mackled Malaclaws without wearing thick gloves, as their bite causes terrible luck for the victim. Newt showed her how to untangle the legs of a Plimpy should you find one hopelessly drifting after an encounter with Merpeople. She made sure to spread the Mooncalf feed around their pen, otherwise the larger Mooncalves will simply float the food in the air above the smaller ones and eat it themselves. Mildred and the Nundu were surprisingly easy to feed, as all they required was some hunks of raw meat to gnaw on. Tina almost had an incident with the Dugbog, mistaking its prone form for a dead log, but Newt warned her before it could attack her ankles.

It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours, and neither of them noticed that Bunty had not actually come down with tea like she said she would. Exhausted, they headed upstairs for a bite to eat, leaving Newt’s wonderful beast collection behind. Pickett remained with Newt, because after being left in the case for several days, Tina highly doubted the Bowtruckle was going to let Newt out of his sight again.

Arriving upstairs, they both then realised that Bunty hadn’t come down at all in the many hours they had spent in the basement. There was a flash of panic on Newt’s face and he rushed into the kitchen. Ready for the worst, Tina followed him in. She was indescribably pleased to see Newt holding some parchment with a relieved smile on his face. He held it out for her to read.

_Newt –_

_Sorry to disappear on you. There’s been a Weasley family emergency – don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. However, I think it best that I take a few days off. I would’ve told you before I left, but I didn’t wish to disturb you and Miss Goldstein._

_See you in a few days,_

_Bunty._

‘It’s good that she’s alright.’ Tina said.

‘Yes, though it’s surprising that she’s taking a few days off for something she claims isn’t serious. Normally it’s like trying to separate a Niffler from a hoard of gold when I want her to take some time off.’

Tina had a sneaking suspicion that the fact she was staying at Newt’s place had more to do with Bunty taking time off, rather than a minor Weasley family emergency. She didn’t bring this up to Newt, as she didn’t think he’d quite understand.

‘How about that cup of tea then? We’ll have it in the drawing room.’ Newt said.

Tina nodded, smiled and went into the drawing room to take a seat. Newt followed her in shortly after, carrying two mugs of warm tea. He placed one in front of Tina, and sat across from her, holding the other. They sat for a few moments in companionable silence before Newt shifted awkwardly, making a rather unsubtle cough for Tina’s attention. She looked at him, waiting for him to say something.

‘I never said it after Paris – I was just so consumed by all that was happening, not that it’s an excuse – but I’m sorry about Queenie.’

Tina hadn’t been expecting that. Her thoughts flashed onto her wayward sister, and she swallowed down the grief that came with it. She had accepted Queenie’s choice, and no longer saw the point in crying about it.

‘It’s okay. She made her choice, and we just have to accept it.’

Newt looked bewildered, like this was not the appropriate response.

‘Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude, but I know you two were close…’ he trailed off at the sight of the stony expression Tina had on her face.

‘Yes, we were close. Then I bungled it up by telling her to break it off with Jacob. That’s the real reason she joined Grindelwald, no matter what Jacob says. I failed to support her when she needed it, so she turned to someone that claimed they would.

‘I’ve already done my crying and grieving over it, and I would rather not focus on it anymore unless I come face to face with her.’

The bewilderment on Newt’s face turned to hurt at Tina’s snappy tone. She sighed. She didn’t mean to snap at him, or hurt him, but she was tired of thinking about Queenie and the past. Tina would much rather focus on the future that faced her.

‘Listen, Newt, I’m sorry for snapping. And I never truly said I’m sorry about what happened to Leta. I know she was a close friend.’

Newt’s face darkened, and Tina was suddenly worried she’d said the wrong thing. Fortunately, it appeared that he was thinking of something in the past, not the present.

‘She wasn’t a close friend, not if I think about it. Her death still hurts, desperately, but she was never the person I thought her to be.’ Newt said softly.

‘What do you mean?’ Tina asked, knowing he never talked about his past with Leta.

‘We were both outcasts at school, so we drifted together. I was just happy to have someone to spend time with. It blinded me to what she was really like. She could be cruel, selfish, and was prone to ignoring the fact that her actions could affect other people.

‘She was the reason I got expelled. She provoked a Jarvey to attack a student. I was angry, but I knew what her father would do if she got expelled, so I claimed that the Jarvey was mine. I took the fall, got expelled, and she proceeded to cut all contact with me. I never got any sign of gratitude or apology. In fact, the next time I saw her, she was hanging off the arm of my brother with a shiny new ring on her finger.’

Newt said the last sentence rather bitterly, which stabbed at Tina’s heart a bit. Did he love her? Would Tina find herself compared to Leta at every opportunity? Because she couldn’t compete with a dead girl. Dead people had no flaws. The voice in her head came through very clearly.

_You can’t trust him._

Still, she moved over to the seat next to him and rubbed his back to comfort him. He seemed to lean into her touch, but Tina wasn’t certain that she hadn’t imagined it. They sat in silence again, and Tina felt contentment sliding in, with her arm around Newt, drinking tea in his drawing room. She understood that she had to be honest.

‘Newt? Can we talk about our relationship?’

Newt froze up immediately and leant away from her touch. There was a cold look in his eyes, like he was accepting the fact the world was ending.

‘We don’t need to. I understand.’ he said, his voice cracking a little.

‘Understand what?’

‘I know I’m not exactly good enough for you, I understand you don’t want to get stuck or have to settle with me.’

His words stabbed at Tina like multiple icy daggers. He verbalised everything she felt in comparison to Newt, yet he was feeling it in comparison to her.

‘Newt, no! That’s not true in the slightest. When I’m with you, it’s like all my worries can disappear for a while. You give me this wonderful feeling inside, like everything in my world has been leading to moments with you. I can barely remember what it was like before you were in my life. I know I should feel guilty, being so happy with you when the world is so dark, but I don’t care! I’ve come to realise that it’s –‘ she paused, taking a deep breath. ‘It’s because I’m in love with you, Newt. I’ve been in love with you for a long time.’

Tina looked at Newt, hoping for a sign that he shared her feelings. She had laid her feelings bare, made her heart vulnerable. The seconds dragged on, feeling like hours. Newt still didn’t respond. She felt her heart start to crack, felt the sting of hot tears in the corners of her eyes.

_You can’t trust –_

‘I love you too.’

His voice broke through all her thoughts, his words echoing through her mind. Tina could barely believe it. Newt felt the same way.

‘I have since I met you, if I’m truly honest.’ Newt said.

Tina looked at him with surprise. She remembered their meeting. Her roughly Apparating him into an alley, immediately questioning him. She couldn’t exactly imagine how that would endear her to him, but she had long since realised that Newt worked much differently to everyone else. Tina suspected she did too.

‘I suppose we both should’ve sorted this all out in New York, seeing how we both seemed to be in love with each other at the time.’ Tina said with a giggle.

‘Yes, well, I’ve never been great with opening up to other people.’ Newt said, smiling back at her.

‘Neither have I.’ Tina breathed, pulling Newt into a kiss.

It wasn’t long, but it was perfect. Her heart was whole, and a wonderfully warm feeling was emanating from her chest, while tingles shot from where their lips connected. As they broke apart, Newt wrapped his arms around Tina, and she leant into his chest. They stayed like this for several minutes, before Newt spoke up.

‘Should we go to bed now?’

‘No.’ Tina responded. ‘Let’s just stay here.’

And that was how they both fell asleep. Tina woke up a few hours later. Newt was still asleep, his chest rising and falling softly, arms still wrapped around her. Tina didn’t make a move, instead just lay there, taking the moment in. The voice in her head tried to speak up.

_You can’t trust him._

This time, Tina fought back against it.

_Yes, I can trust him. Because I love him, and he loves me._

Her thoughts were silent as she drifted back into happy sleep, lulled by Newt’s breathing and the quiet chirps of Pickett, asleep on his shoulder. The rest of the world could wait until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bunty is the last Weasley girl to be born before Ginny, and you can't convince me otherwise.  
> Also I loved writing her and Dougal as these knowing matchmakers.  
> And yes, I realise the end of the chapter turned into mindless fluff, and I don't care. Newtina deserves all the happiness in the world.
> 
> Next chapter is set after a 2 year time jump, from Newt's perspective.  
> It may be delayed, as Uni is starting up this week.
> 
> Comments are welcome and appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading!


	8. A Crash and a New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wall Street Crash has happened. Tina sees a reason to be worried about it.
> 
> Newt and Tina find themselves confronted by a large surprise.

Newt

‘Newt! Wake up!’

Tina’s shouting pierced through the sleepy haze Newt found himself in. He opened his eyes, hoping to see Tina waiting in the room for him, but other than Mildred the Wampus cat sleeping at the foot of the bed, his room was empty. Tina had been living with Newt for two years now, and he still felt his heart flutter whenever he saw her. Therefore, it was a little disappointing to him that he’d have to get out of bed to see her.

They slept in different rooms, despite the fact they had been in a dedicated relationship since she had moved in. Newt had been raised in the upper echelons of pure-blood wizarding society, and the idea of sharing a bed with a woman that he was not either engaged or married to was outrageous. Tina had seemed equally apprehensive about the idea, so Newt hadn’t needed to argue his case. It was either that, or she had thought a marriage proposal was coming shortly. A pang of shame hit Newt at that thought. He should propose to Tina. Jacob and his brother Theseus had been egging him to do it, but nerves had got the better of Newt, so his mother’s engagement ring had stayed hidden in a drawer.

A bright chirping from his side table snapped Newt out of his morning thoughts. Pickett was sitting there, arms outstretched, waiting for Newt to pick him up. The little Bowtruckle was one of the few beasts that Newt and Tina allowed upstairs instead of having to stay in the basement, as he was small and rather harmless. The other was Mildred, the Wampus cat that had saved their lives during the battle of Leipzig. While Mildred was neither small nor harmless, it isn’t exactly easy to change the mind of a Wampus cat when it was set on doing something.

Mildred stayed sleeping as Newt placed Pickett on his shoulder and went to the kitchen, where Tina likely was. It was an unofficial routine the couple had fallen into. Tina would wake Newt up, either by coming to his room or calling his name, then they would meet in the kitchen for some tea.

Though, when Newt arrived in the kitchen, she wasn’t there. Pickett chirped with resounding disappointment. Newt may have joined the Bowtruckle’s chorus if she hadn’t entered the kitchen at that moment, dabbing a towel at her mouth.

‘It’s alright, Pickett. I’m here.’

Newt looked her over with concern. She was looking extremely pale and sickly, and there was a slight sweat on her brow. This was becoming a regular, reoccurring sight in the mornings, and he was becoming increasingly worried about the whole thing.

‘Tina, were you –‘

‘Yes, Newt, I was vomiting again! It’s not serious, so for the love of god, stop worrying!’

‘You’ve been vomiting all week. That’s unusual. Just let me take you to St. Mungo’s, so we can be sure that it’s not serious.’

Pickett, helpful as always, chirped loudly in agreement with Newt. Tina rolled her eyes, huffed, and looked like she was about to continue the argument when she noticed something on the table. Her eyes widened in what looked like shock. Newt followed her gaze to the newspaper that lay on the table. It was the day’s issue of the Daily Prophet. He wondered why Tina was suddenly so interested in it, half suspecting that she was trying to derail the conversation. At least, he thought that until his eyes trailed over the front-page headline.

**November 15 th, 1929**

**MUGGLE STOCKS COLLAPSE! EXPERTS WARN THAT WIZARDING ECONOMIES MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED!**

Newt was unable to read anymore as Tina swept the paper up to read it. Worried mutterings slithered past her lips as she read through the article. Pickett prodded Newt in the shoulder, urging him to go to her side. He obliged the Bowtruckle and moved to Tina’s side, placing a comforting hand on the small of her back. She leaned into his shoulder, her worried breaths becoming obvious to him. Pickett hopped from Newt’s shoulder to the top of Tina’s head and gave her hair a pat; a gesture he thought was comforting.

‘Tina, what’s wrong?’ Newt asked softly.

‘The No-Maj – sorry, Muggle – stock market crashed. Millions of shares have become worthless and everyone is running out of money. The banks are folding, and millions are becoming unemployed. It all happened a month ago, but I guess wizarding society has only noticed when it could affect them.’

There was a grave tone in Tina’s voice, but Newt was confused.

‘How will this affect our world? It’s a Muggle problem.’ he asked.

‘No matter what the purebloods would have us all believe, the wizarding and non-wizarding worlds are more intrinsically linked than many would suspect. A huge crash like this is bound to cause a similar effect on our banks and economy. In fact, it could be even worse; the wizarding world relies on far fewer banks.’

Her statement seemed to darken the room. Was the wizarding economy in desperate trouble? If banks started collapsing, it really would be a rather large issue. Newt couldn’t think of a bank other than Gringotts in Great Britain, and through his travels he knew that most other countries only had a single wizarding bank. It occurred to him that he’d never thought about the issues that could cause; that caused him to wonder how Tina seemed to know all about it.

‘How are you so knowledgeable on the subject of Muggle banks?’ Newt said.

‘Ilvermorny had a very good Study of the Non-Magical class.’ Tina replied, beaming up at him.

Her beaming face quickly twisted into one of horror as she smacked her hand to her mouth and rushed to the bathroom. Pickett jumped off her head to Newt’s shoulder. Newt didn’t need to guess as to what she was doing, but the loud retching floating down the hall confirmed it. He followed the noises to the bathroom door. He knocked with three loud raps. A rather weak grunt came out in response.

‘I’m taking you to St. Mungo’s, Tina.’

Tina made no sort of protesting noise.

*******

It had taken them a while to get to St. Mungo’s. Newt had decided to first wait for Bunty, as he did not like to leave his beasts unattended. Tina had then refused to apparate or use the Floo, certain that it would only make her more ill. That was how the two of them found themselves walking down the smoggy London streets to the magic hospital. They arrived at a red-bricked, condemned department store after walking for about an hour. Newt walked up to one of the windows and tapped it with his wand.

‘What are you doing?’ Tina asked.

‘Through here. It’s a magical gateway.’

Tina didn’t question any further. She stepped up and walked through the gateway. Newt followed her. The two of them were greeted by a clinically white reception, with a loud hustle and bustle of healers and patients moving around trying to organise the inherent disorganisation. Pickett, who had come along in Newt’s top pocket, shrunk back into the folds of Newt’s coat, overwhelmed by the noise.

Newt and Tina walked up to the receptionist’s desk. It was small, but it had enough room to fit two people comfortably. Behind the desk was a smouldering fireplace, embers still burning away. There was no one sitting there, but there was a shining gold bell. Newt rang it. The fireplace behind the desk exploded in green flame for a moment, before a dark-haired girl in a Mediwitch uniform stepped out. She looked very young, like she was just out of Hogwarts. She gave the pair a thin smile.

‘Can I help you?’ she asked, her voice a little cold. She then seemed to realise who she was talking to, as her eyes widened.

‘Oh, Mr Scamander, I didn’t realise it was you. Have you been injured by one of your beasts again?’

Newt was about to ask how she knew who he was, as he had never seen her before, when he realised that he was probably on some sort of Hall of Shame in the hospital for the frequent visits he needed.

‘Ah, no. My… my, um…’

‘Partner.’ Tina interjected.

‘Yes – partner, has been feeling rather unwell for the past week and I thought it best to bring her to you, just in case.’

The receptionist looked between the two of them, as if she was trying to work out exactly what they meant by ‘partner’. She then let out a sigh and pulled a clipboard with a parchment attached.

‘Please fill out this form while you wait. A Healer will be with you shortly.’

Tina took the clipboard and Newt followed her to the waiting area. They sat next to each other, but neither said anything.

They sat in silence, even after Tina had filled in the form, until a tall woman called out for Tina. She bundled the two of them into a small check-up room and waited for them to sit down. She had auburn hair, tied back in a taut bun, a smattering of grey throughout. She had angular cheekbones that looked sharp enough to cut butter. She took a seat, and took the form from Tina, lips pursed. Cold and brown eyes read over what was written. A nametag on her Healer robes said ‘Dorothy’.

‘You’ve been vomiting every day for the past week?’ Dorothy asked.

Tina confirmed this; Dorothy hummed in acknowledgement before going back to perusing the form.

‘I think I recognise these symptoms. Are you sexually active, Miss Goldstein?’

Newt felt heat flush up through his neck into his cheeks. Tina had gone almost scarlet. They looked at each other; Newt saw a small panic in her eyes.

‘Might I remind you both that I am asking you for _medical_ reasons, not to run off to the press with a new item of gossip.’ Dorothy huffed.

Newt shifted uncomfortably. Medical reasons or not, the question made him a little queasy. He was raised with proper etiquette when courting a lady, and that meant nothing more than a kiss until you were married. He and Tina weren’t even engaged yet, and they’d already failed to follow etiquette. It wasn’t as if they had planned it, but about a month ago, the past had caught up with them, and in seeking comfort with one another it had just happened.

Their ongoing silence seemed to irritate Dorothy even more, and she looked like she was trying very hard not to yell at the two of them. Tina’s face finally took a less scarlet colouration and she sat herself upright.

‘Once. About a month ago.’

Dorothy nodded at this and scribbled something down with her quill. She reached her hand to her back pocket and pulled out a thin, brown wand.

‘Miss Goldstein, would you mind holding your hand out?’

Tina obliged. Dorothy summoned a medical tool and pricked the end of Tina’s forefinger. Tina flinched slightly, which made Newt’s heart jump slightly, but she was fine. Pressing her wand to the prick, Dorothy waited for blood to appear before pulling her wand back. Several droplets hung in mid-air from the wand’s tip. Carefully pulling the blood over to a potion stand, she flicked the blood into a cloudy liquid. She then took the potion back in front of Newt and Tina and muttered something under her breath while tapping it with her wand three times.

The cloudy liquid started to swirl dramatically, bubbling slightly. The colour changed to a deep orange colour and settled. Dorothy looked back at Newt and Tina, beaming. The huge smile looked out of place with the rest of her features.

‘Congratulations!’ she said happily.

Newt was confused as to what she was congratulating them on. He glanced to Tina, hoping she had some idea what was going on. She looked shell-shocked, mouth slightly open, looking blankly at the orange potion. Dorothy stood up and went to the doorway.

‘You two obviously need a moment. I’ll be outside if you want anything.’

The door closed loudly behind her. Newt looked back to Tina, who was still entranced by the potion. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he rubbed softly.

‘Tina, what’s wrong?’ he asked.

She finally looked away from the potion, eyes meeting his. Tears were pooling in her eyes, which were emanating a confusing muddle of emotions. Newt was usually good at reading what Tina was feeling, but she was ranging from happiness to fear to anger and back again. Newt felt a lump in his throat. What could this potion possibly mean?

‘Mercy Lewis, don’t you know what this means?’ she finally asked, in a voice Newt had to strain to hear.

Newt, afraid he might start bawling if he opened his mouth, shook his head. A large lump was forming in his throat.

‘Newt, I’m pregnant.’

Newt started crying. He couldn’t say what emotion he felt.

*******

‘I can’t believe I’m pregnant!’ Tina shouted through the house as she stormed about.

Newt simply watched her as she went back and forth. After the initial shock of pregnancy had worn off, and they’d got back home, Tina had exploded with the force of a volcano in anger. Bunty had received a verbal lashing for opening the door, and Newt had sent her home with several apologies. Mildred, being able to read minds, had stayed on whatever side of the house Tina was not on. Pickett was hiding deep in Newt’s inner coat pocket.

Tina stormed up to Newt and looked him in the eye. Her eyes were incensed with anger, but Newt could see a touch of worry in there. That was the real reason Tina was reacting so poorly to the news. She was afraid of having a child in the current climate. Newt could see her point as he was terrified of the whole idea of it. However, there was already this sense of a connection with the unborn child that he felt. It was already a fatherly love; the same sort he already felt for the creatures he rescued. He just needed to calm Tina down, so they could have a serious talk about it.

‘Tina, please – please calm down.’

Tina looked like she was ready to hex him into oblivion for even suggesting that she calm down. Her eyes blazed with some unpleasant emotion. Newt tried to match her gaze with one of sympathy. They locked eyes for a moment, a silent battle between the two taking place. Newt pushed his desire to look away down, and kept his focus on Tina. This worked, and Tina’s eyes teared up as she collapsed forward into Newt’s arms.

‘Oh, Newt, I’m sorry. It’s all – it’s all been too much. The banks, Grindelwald’s army, and now I’m pregnant! And I’m not sure if I can handle any of it.’ she said, sobbing into his shoulder.

Newt wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

‘We can do this, Tina. It – it won’t be easy, but we can do this.’ Newt said, with a confidence he wasn’t quite feeling.

Tina sniffled in response, but stopped crying. In fact, she smiled slightly, looking up at him.

‘Mr Scamander, we’re not even engaged. What will the upper echelons of society have to say about my pregnancy?’

Newt looked down at her, worried, but realised that she was making fun of him. Still, he saw this as a better opportunity than any.

‘Tina, I can always –‘

‘If you propose to me because I’m pregnant, I will use one of the many painful curses in my repertoire on you.’ Tina said, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. Newt smiled back at her, and kissed the top of her head.

‘Then it can wait.’

They stood there, in each other’s arms, for a long time. No matter what happened with the banks or Grindelwald, Newt silently vowed that he would make sure his odd little family would come first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little short chapter for y'all, with a lovely surprise for our favourite couple.  
> The real action will start heating up in the coming chapters.  
> Next chapter is back to Queenie in Nurmengard.
> 
> Comments are welcome and appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading!


	9. The Plans of Grindelwald

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald discusses his plans with his inner circle.  
> Queenie doesn't agree with all of them.

Queenie

‘Try it again. Remember, it’s pronounced Wing-GAR-dium Levi-O-sa, with a swish and flick of the wand.’ Queenie said, watching Credence attempt the Levitation Charm for the sixth time without success.

‘I know what it is, it’s just not working.’ Credence snapped back at her.

Queenie waved her hand to get him to try again, ignoring his temper. Once again, he followed the instructions perfectly, saying the incantation right and moving his wand in the correct manner. Once again, the phoenix feather failed to make any sort of movement. Once again, Credence angrily threw his wand down and glowered at it.

‘Sweetie, it’s alright. Sometimes spells can be a little stubborn. I had plenty of trouble when I was a child.’ Queenie said.

‘This is the tenth spell in a row that hasn’t worked. I’m obviously not a wizard!’

Queenie let him huff about. Ever since he had saved her in a duel with a powerful Body-Bind Curse, she had been trying to train him to repeat any magic of the same strength. Unfortunately, despite two years of effort, Credence could do little more than shoot weak sparks out the end of his wand, and even that was a rare occurrence. It was as if there was no magic in Credence except for the Obscurial. The residents of Nurmengard certainly knew that was still there, after an incident last year where an acolyte provoked Credence into releasing it. Queenie had been the one who had managed to calm Credence down again and the acolyte had disappeared.

That was why Queenie was the one Grindelwald had chosen to train Credence to control his magic. There was a degree of trust between the two that wasn’t shared with anyone else. Credence talked to almost no one else in the castle except for Queenie. She also found herself spending time with Credence more often than not.

Credence had left their training area to feed his phoenix. Queenie followed him, summoning some more feed for him to use. Queenie’s friend Tobias often joked that she and the bird were in a competition to see who could be more protective of Credence.

The phoenix gave her a glare as she approached, its black eyes betraying no warmth or comfort. Its red feathers radiated, distorting the cool air in the room. Credence grabbed a bucket and Queenie poured the feed into it. The only food Nurmengard had access to for phoenixes were dry tablets packed with important nutrients. Unfortunately, the phoenix did not enjoy these tablets and would only eat the feed if Credence offered it. Tobias had investigated getting a different source of phoenix food but had no luck.

Credence placed the bucket in front of the phoenix and stepped back. The phoenix screeched with a piercing cry that made Queenie go cold, before placing its large beak into the bucket and eating. Seemingly happy with the phoenix deciding to eat, Credence moved away to sit down. Queenie joined him, not wanting to draw the ire of the phoenix by hanging around unwanted.

‘It’s never going to work. The only magic I have is the Obscurus inside me.’ Credence muttered.

‘You don’t know that. You’ve successfully cast spells before – who says you can’t do it again?’ Queenie said.

She was desperate to help Credence succeed. This poor child had suffered so much pain in his life already; a belief in magic had been the only thing stopping the Obscurus from taking complete control. She knew he had a powerful ability in magic – that was surely the only way the monster inside hadn’t torn him apart. But nothing she tried could bring that magic out. Whether it was using different wands, following the school curricula, or even trying to draw out some accidental magic, it rarely worked. Queenie had never seen anything like it. Granted, her experience with Obscurials was limited to Credence himself; but even the vague memory she had of Newt telling her about other Obscurials told her that they should be able to use magic when given a wand and training. It was as if Credence’s magic wasn’t his – but that wasn’t possible, was it?

‘I only cast spells when I get angry! Which is usually when the monster inside me wants to break out.’ Credence retorted.

Queenie had no answer to the contrary. It was the truth; there was no example of Credence using magic without a level of anger. For Credence to use magic, he had to risk the Obscurus bursting out. As much as Queenie tried to teach him otherwise, his anger went deep, perhaps even deeper than any magic in his blood.

There was a loud screech from the phoenix. Turning to face the doorway, Queenie saw Tobias standing there, tapping his foot impatiently.

‘Tobias? Can we help you?’ Queenie asked.

‘Grindelwald’s called a meeting of the inner circle. I’m fetching you.’ Tobias said, warily glancing at the phoenix.

‘I’ll be with you in a moment.’ Queenie said, turning to Credence and pressing a kiss to his forehead. ‘Keep practicing. You’ll get it to work, I know it.’

Credence gave her the barest hint of a smile. Queenie beamed back, then joined Tobias. They walked out of Credence’s room, passing a heavily cracked wall that hadn’t been fixed from the Obscurus’ rampage. Grindelwald had assured everyone that the cracks were not deep enough to cause structural damage, but it still unsettled Queenie to have parts of the castle looking as though they may crumble at any second.

‘Do you know what this meeting is about?’ Queenie said. Tobias always seemed to have a better idea of what Grindelwald wanted than her.

‘Some incident in the Muggle world that he thinks will provide some advantage.’

‘Incident? Like an earthquake or something?’

‘I assume we’ll find out in the meeting, Queenie.’

Sensing that he wasn’t in the mood for questions, Queenie shut her mouth. Instead, she let her mind wander as they walked. As usual, her thoughts drifted back to the dilemma with Credence. She had become good at pushing old memories out of her mind in the years since Paris, but she found herself missing Tina, Newt, Jacob suddenly, quite desperately.

Newt would know what to do about Credence; after all, he had prior experience with Obscurials. His awkward appearance and stammered sentences hid a very deep knowledge of magical beasts and beings. There was also a care with Newt – he would never get impatient or frustrated with the lack of progress. Queenie would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t feel a touch of irritation every time Credence’s wand refused to cooperate.

Vague snatches of old memories echoed, allowing Queenie to remember her sister talking about Credence after the events in New York. Tina had lamented his death at the hands of the Aurors. Her demotion from the Aurors was also due to her standing up for Credence against his mother. As often as Tina could be cold and distant, she had cared for him. With those memories in her mind’s eye, Queenie couldn’t help but feel like a pale imitation of her sister. The irony of wishing that she was Tina was not lost on Queenie. Her sister likely would’ve found it ridiculous, and that only made Queenie miss her more.

Queenie was entirely unsure that Jacob had any sort of connection to Credence; they’d never talked about it. Despite this, he was the one Queenie missed the most, and always would be the one Queenie missed the most. She missed the way she could find comfort in his presence. She missed the way he could look at things with a different angle and suggest a solution that others may not have seen. Most of all, she missed the way they fitted together like jigsaw pieces. Even now, years after last seeing him, Queenie felt as though there was an important part of her missing, unable to be filled in Jacob’s absence.

She was so deep in reminiscing that she was caught off guard by a very sharp pain in her face as it collided with something rough and solid. She toppled backwards, her back meeting the concrete with painful intensity. Queenie looked up from her new position on the ground to see Tobias standing over her, wheezing with laughter.

‘Stop laughing! What happened?’ Queenie said.

Tobias pointed a large wooden door, gasping for air between fits of laughter. Queenie could make out the words ‘door… walked into…’ and figured that she had managed to walk into the door. She pushed herself up, wincing with the pain that surged up her back, and brushed down her robes.

‘Thank you for being so helpful.’ Queenie said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

‘I knew you were alright. I appreciate the laugh – I don’t think Grindelwald would’ve appreciated my bad mood.’

Queenie shot him a glare and pushed the wooden doors open. Inside was a room that emanated a cosy aura. It was dimly lit, small candles emitting a dull orange glow that covered the faces of the room’s inhabitants. In the centre of the room was a round table so covered in parchments and maps that its surface was no longer visible. Around the table were six mahogany chairs with tall backs and plump maroon cushions atop them. Two of the chairs were occupied; Gellert Grindelwald sat in one, Vinda Rosier next to him in another. Queenie and Tobias sat on the other side of the table from them. The two empty chairs were for Gunnar Grimmson, who was still in Auror custody, and Nagel, who was busy on a recruiting mission. This was Grindelwald’s war room, where his inner circle met.

‘Welcome, my friends. I have some wonderful news. Vinda, if you could show them.’ Grindelwald said, once they were settled.

Vinda smiled and shifted the pile of parchments to pull out a newspaper. She threw it in front of Queenie and Tobias. Looking down at it, the paper was in German, so Tobias cast a simple translation charm.

‘Bank crashes? How does this help us, sir?’ Tobias asked, as the headline revealed itself.

‘So short-sighted, Mr Yatherly. The Muggle bank crashes will certainly have a crippling effect on our own banks – in fact, it’s already happening. Gringotts has suffered from mass withdrawals from its vaults.’ Grindelwald said.

‘So, we use this event to show that Muggles need guidance from the wizarding world?’ Queenie asked.

‘Full marks, my dear, full marks. It’s already bringing people to our cause. Nagel has already reported fifteen new acolytes; it’s only been a few days since the news was announced.’

Queenie gave Tobias a look of disbelief – fifteen new recruits in one go was unheard of. Vinda smiled with a glint her eye; Grindelwald must’ve already told her this.

‘We must consolidate our plans while there is more sympathy for our cause. It’s time we focused on the German solution. I will personally lead a group of acolytes to Berlin, where we will use the Dementor colony to strike despair into the hearts of Muggles and wizards alike.

‘I did not foresee these bank crashes, but my visions have shown me that Germany will play a crucial part in our success. The use of Dementor attacks on their cities are driving them towards drastic measures, and this works perfectly for us.

‘I was thinking that we could also use Aurelius to –‘

‘Use Aurelius for _what_ , sir?’ Queenie interrupted. She had been listening with rapt attention, but the idea that they may use Credence in a similar manner to the Dementors did not make Queenie feel very comfortable.

Grindelwald looked over, a calculating look in his eyes. Tobias’ eyes were wide at her boldness, and Vinda looked shocked that anyone would dare interrupt Grindelwald.

‘Aurelius has… special powers, my dear. They would certainly help our plan succeed.’

‘You mean the Obscurus? You want to use _that_?’ Queenie couldn’t stop the disgust slipping into her voice. It was not missed by the others in the room, Tobias flinching slightly, Vinda looking more scandalised by the second. Grindelwald affixed her with a cold stare.

‘It is a valuable asset. The Dementors are useful, but they do not have the sheer power of the Obscurus.’

It was Queenie’s turn to look scandalised. She angrily pushed up from her seat, ignoring the twanging pain in her back. She couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of Grindelwald’s mouth.

‘I THOUGHT WE TOOK CREDENCE IN TO HELP HIM! IS THAT NOT WHY I’VE BEEN TEACHING HIM MAGIC? OR WAS THAT A DISTRACTION, SO WE COULD USE HIM FOR HIS OBSCURUS?’ Queenie screamed at Grindelwald.

Vinda stood up immediately, pulling her wand out on Queenie. Tobias pulled his own out and trained it on Vinda. She snarled back at Tobias, but he did not falter. They both looked ready to start a duel right there.

Queenie ignored this, locking eyes with Grindelwald. A look of ugly anger twisted his face, before he composed himself, the anger leaving his face so quickly Queenie was suddenly unsure if it had been there at all.

‘Please, Vinda, Yatherly, put your wands away. Sit down, let us talk about this in a mature manner.’ Grindelwald said, in a very soft voice.

Vinda reluctantly put her wand away and took a seat. Once she had disarmed herself, Tobias followed suit. Queenie thought about storming out but was reminded of how fairly Grindelwald had always treated her. She thought she should give him the same chance. She sat down.

Grindelwald looked over them all before deciding to speak.

‘You are right, Queenie. I promised I would look after Credence but using him for his Obscurus is doing the opposite. What sort of leader am I, if I cannot keep my word?’

If she was honest, Queenie wasn’t expecting an outright apology. She had thought that Grindelwald would push through and use the Obscurus either way.

‘Thank you, sir. It’s not fair to Credence.’

Grindelwald gave her a small smile for her answer.

‘This is why you’re in my inner circle, my dear. Vinda handles the mission planning, Mr Yatherly controls the politics, but you? You hold me to my word. That’s perhaps the most important position of all.

‘You will stay at Nurmengard with Credence to continue his magical training. Vinda and Yatherly, you will join me on the mission. Session dismissed.’

With that, Grindelwald got up and walked out a side door. Vinda hurried after him. Queenie felt queasy after the confrontation, so decided to rest in her room. As she left, Tobias caught up with her.

‘Cor blimey, that was something. First time I’ve seen someone scream Grindelwald to a different position.’ he said, smiling broadly.

‘I’m surprised he didn’t throw me out. _That_ was a textbook example of insubordination.’

‘He values your opinion; you’re in the inner circle for a reason. Plus, you were right. We shouldn’t use Aurelius as a weapon. He’s just a kid.’

Queenie smiled weakly at him as they split off. What Tobias said was likely true, but Queenie didn’t feel any better. She played the whole interaction repeatedly in her mind as she lay in bed, until she was finally exhausted enough to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took longer than expected - it was harder to write than I expected, writer's block really hit me in full force.  
> I hope the way I use Grindelwald in this story works for y'all.  
> Next chapter is from the POV of none other than Theseus Scamander, with his and Dumbledore's reaction to the wall street crashes (plus Theseus being a dope DADA teacher).
> 
> Comments and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Darkness on the Horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theseus teaches his classes and plans for Grindelwald's next move with Jacob and Dumbledore.

Theseus

Theseus watched as the Hufflepuff seventh years shuffled into the classroom. He was looking forward to another lesson. It had been around two years since he had taken the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, and he finally felt that he had settled in.

This particular class of Hufflepuffs were his favourites. They had been fifth years when he had taken the position. They weren’t anything exceptional in terms of academia; they were achieving at the level expected of them. However, this wasn’t why Theseus liked them so much. In his third week of teaching, Jacob had sat in on his classes. The Hufflepuffs, upon learning who he was and why he was in Hogwarts, had essentially adopted him. About thirty or so had been in the class at the time; it had thinned out slightly since, but even those no longer taking DADA made Jacob as welcome as they had two years ago.

Sure enough, Jacob followed the last of the Hufflepuff students in. He took a seat at the back of the class, slightly away from the students. Theseus was glad he hadn’t forgotten to give the Professors respect by not distracting their students.

Satisfied that all the expected students had entered his class, Theseus stood up from his desk. Twenty expectant students and one amused Jacob looked back, waiting for him to speak. He smiled at them, then whipped his wand out from his sleeve.

‘In our last lesson, I said we would be moving past high-level defensive charms onto hexes and curses you can use to defend yourself and incapacitate potential threats.’

A murmur of excitement rippled through the group of students.

‘I thought we could start with one of my favourites: The Lightning Curse. It’s difficult to master but exceptional for incapacitating a group of enemies.

‘If you could all stand behind my desk at the front of the room for a demonstration, that would be appreciated.’

There was quite a rush to get behind Theseus’ desk. The students seemed very excited to be given a demonstration. Jacob winked at Theseus as he joined them.

With a flick of his wand, the desks and chairs flew in an orderly fashion to the sides of the room. Theseus pointed his wand at the space this created and conjured four training dummies in a semi-circle.

‘Normally I wouldn’t say the spell’s name, but since I’m teaching you, I’ll say it nice and clear. I’ll randomly pick some of you to explain aspects of the spell, so take note of what you see.’

Confident that he had his students’ attention, Theseus began twirling his wand lightly by his side. In his mind’s eye, he pictured several bolts of lightning shooting through a dark sky. Feeling the static electricity forming in the air around his wand, he took larger, swooping swings, moving his whole arm. Flashes of electricity flickered in a circular motion, following the movement of his wand. Feeling the electrical power building to its maximum, he focused on the four dummies standing around him. Moving his arm in one final circular motion, he aggressively pointed his wand at the semi-circle of dummies.

‘ _Fulmen_!’ Theseus shouted.

Four cold-white bolts of lightning shot out from the tip of his wand. With breakneck speed, they slammed into their respective dummies with enough force to knock them over. Theseus turned back to his students, a wide grin on his face. They were looking back, wide-eyed in awe.

‘Scrimgeour, what was one thing you noticed before I cast the spell?’ Theseus asked a lanky boy at the back.

‘Uh – you gradually increased your wand swings to build up electricity for the curse.’ Scrimgeour responded.

‘Very good. Hopkins, did you notice anything different?’ Theseus said to a short blonde girl in the front. She jumped slightly at her name, obviously not expecting to be called on.

‘Uhm, when there was lots of lightning flashing, you – um – you cast the spell to… release it?’ she squeaked, not sounding confident in her answer.

‘You’re right, Hopkins. When the electricity was sufficiently built up, I released the curse. Puckle, you couldn’t have seen this, but what might my mind have been focused on as I was casting the spell?’ Theseus said, this time directing the question to a stocky, dark-skinned boy.

‘I’d say lightning, Professor. It would be a little strange if you were thinking about Puffskeins.’ Puckle said, setting laughter rippling through the students. Theseus feigned a stern expression before responding with a grin.

‘Yes, Puckle, I was visualising lightning. Finally, Malone, what was the incantation to cast the curse?’

Malone, a pale boy with messy black hair, took a moment to think before answering.

‘I think it was Fulmen, Professor.’

‘Excellent attention to detail, all of you. Now, pair up and practice casting the spell on a training dummy. Please be careful, I don’t think Madam Beckett wants to see any of you in the Hospital Wing with Lightning Curse wounds.’

Theseus casually flicked his wand to conjure several more training dummies; there were now enough for each pair to practice on. The Hufflepuffs excitedly split themselves off. Theseus allowed himself a small smile at their willingness to learn. Hufflepuffs he taught seemed to have something else when it came to education, a genuine happiness to learn that other Houses didn’t seem to have. Then again, he was slightly biased when it was his old Hogwarts House in question.

‘Do you think Archie Malone and Dorothy Hopkins are more than just friends? They seem to be close.’ Jacob said, sidling up beside Theseus.

‘It’s really none of my concern, Jacob. I’m only concerned with their performance in my class.’

Jacob shot him a glare, obviously disappointed he didn’t rise to the gossip.

‘Oh, alright then, Professor Scamander.’ Jacob grumbled.

Theseus didn’t respond, instead watching as Puckle became the first student in the class to successfully cast the Lightning Curse. He greeted his successful attempt with loud whoops; a few of his classmates congratulated him.

Theseus was about to congratulate him when Jacob tapped on his shoulder. He looked down, but Jacob was looking elsewhere. Following his gaze, Theseus saw the Headmaster, Baldor Ballywog, standing in the doorway, gesturing for him to step outside.

‘Keep an eye on this lot, will you?’ Theseus muttered to Jacob as he walked out of the classroom.

Ballywog smiled at him as Theseus joined the Headmaster in the corridor. He was wearing long, emerald-green robes, covered in parallel sets of mustard yellow stripes. His pointed hat was sky-blue. Once again, the Headmaster had dressed to appeal to his own fashion code; a fashion code that likely wasn’t recognised by one of the many wizarding fashion magazines, in Theseus’ opinion.

‘Is something wrong, Headmaster?’

‘Not desperately, Theseus. Albus wants you and Mr Kowalski to meet him after lunch. Your schedule should be clear.’

Theseus noted, with some worry, that the usual spark in Ballywog’s eyes wasn’t there as he spoke. In fact, it seemed to have been replaced by something Theseus couldn’t recognise, only giving him a rather heavy sense of foreboding.

‘Well, sorry to distract you from your class. Remember, Albus’ office after lunch.’ Ballywog said with a cheer that didn’t reach his eyes.

Theseus watched him walk hurriedly down the hallway until he disappeared. Wondering what could’ve got into the Headmaster, he re-joined his class.

*******

It had been a stressful few hours teaching the two classes he had after his seventh year Hufflepuffs – who had all managed to successfully cast a Lightning Curse before the end of the lesson. The class after them was a stark contrast to the pleasure of teaching the Hufflepuffs; it was the third year Gryffindors, by far the most insufferable class he’d ever had the misfortune to teach. This wasn’t an unpopular opinion amongst the staff. Even Dumbledore, who could be quite biased towards his old house, often had a strained look on his face when dealing with them.

They had barely managed to fend off the singular Grindylow that Theseus had brought into class. It wasn’t because it was hard to do so, it was because they had spent most of the lesson cracking jokes and asking stupid questions to make the class laugh. Theseus had been within an inch of casting the Full Body-Bind Curse on the whole class.

The tension the unruly Gryffindors created in Theseus’ forehead had be slowly unravelled by the first year Ravenclaws afterwards. Despite only being first years, they had that Ravenclaw hunger for learning, but also the pleasant quiet that comes with spending a lot of time in libraries. He had shown them a very basic shield charm and let them practice for the rest of the lesson.

When that had finished, Theseus had rushed to the Great Hall for lunch. He needed some food and rest before Dumbledore dragged him into discussing heavier topics. The staff were all seated, excluding Dumbledore. In the centre sat Ballywog, watching over the students of his school. Theseus saw Jacob seated off to the side, so went to take the seat beside him. As he passed, he noticed that there was still something off about Ballywog but thought no more of it. The Headmaster position was a stressful one; Ballywog likely had some pressing issue that needed sorting.

‘Not sitting with the Hufflepuffs today?’ he asked Jacob as he sat.

‘Nah. Puckle caught Malone and Hopkins kissing in a storage cupboard. He didn’t shut up about it throughout double Potions. Everyone’s interest in the topic died after about ten minutes of his ranting. Then Scrimgeour made the mistake of suggesting that Puckle was just jealous that Malone had the courage to even talk to Dorothy, and it devolved into an argument.’

Theseus grimaced at the thought. As much as he liked Puckle, if he set his mind to a topic he wouldn’t stop talking about it. Not to mention he could be extremely argumentative. With Scrimgeour also being stubborn in his own right, Theseus could only feel sympathy for Professor Stibbly, the Potions Master. Risking a glance down the staff table, he could see that Stibbly was glowering at the Hufflepuff table. He didn’t need his Auror training to tell him she was watching Scrimgeour and Puckle arguing.

He got up from his seat and walked over to Stibbly. He tapped her on the shoulder and she took a break from her glowering to look at him.

‘I could take some points off them, if you would like?’ Theseus suggested.

‘No use, Professor Scamander. They’ve already lost thirty-five points for Hufflepuff each AND landed themselves in detention for a week. It did not stop them.’ Stibbly said resignedly.

Theseus gave her a look of sympathy before returning to his seat. Before he started eating, he remembered that Ballywog hadn’t mentioned the meeting with Dumbledore to Jacob.

‘Did you know that Dumbledore wants a meeting with the two of us after lunch?’ Theseus asked, turning to his friend.

‘Nah. I was going to go to Herbology with the seventh years, but I figure this meeting is more important?’ Jacob said.

‘It seems likely. Grindelwald’s movements have been more aggressive since the bank crashes. I suspect Dumbledore has a plan to deal with it.’

Jacob grimaced at the mention of the bank crashes. He had taken the news far harder than any of the wizards. It made sense to Theseus; Jacob had lived on muggle finances for his whole life. Not to mention that his workers had been left unemployed after his bakery was destroyed by Grindelwald’s acolytes.

‘I just don’t get why your wizarding lot are so casual about the Wall Street Crash.’ Jacob said.

‘Pureblood arrogance, that’s all it is. They don’t think that muggle issues will have any effect on them.’ Theseus said.

‘I’ve read your papers. They’re all saying it’s a huge problem!’ Jacob retorted angrily.

‘I’ve found that no matter the facts, people don’t like to confront a problem unless it affects them directly.’

Jacob didn’t give an answer, just sighed in a manner that portrayed the frustration he was feeling.

They ate the rest of their lunch in silence. Jacob wasn’t in the mood to talk, and Theseus saw no reason to make him. Instead, he kept an ear open for any student chatter of note. Puckle and Scrimgeour were still arguing; the other Hufflepuffs had started to shift away from them.

The insufferable Gryffindor third years apparently had other insufferable friends. Theseus could hear them scheming over something. Theseus made a note to tip Dumbledore – their Head of House – off to any potential trouble.

The allotted hour for lunch was soon over. The remaining food was sent down to the kitchens once more, and the students started to break off into their next classes. Theseus had no classes this period, but he was certain Dumbledore had second year Slytherins for Transfiguration. Obviously, he had found someway out of it.

Once the Great Hall had cleared out of most students (Scrimgeour and Puckle were _still_ arguing as they left), Theseus and Jacob left the staff table to meet Dumbledore. After two years Jacob had figured out most of the routes around the castle, but Theseus still led the way.

Fortunately, the stairs hadn’t moved around too dramatically, allowing the pair to reach Dumbledore’s office without too much of a hassle. As usual, Dumbledore called for them to enter before Theseus had even touched the door.

When they entered, Albus Dumbledore stood up from behind his desk to greet them. He looked immensely dishevelled, his normally tidy suit crumpled, shirt untucked. His face had new wrinkles that hadn’t been there previously. He looked like he was being crushed by stress. His eyes were weary, but with that same calculating look behind them.

‘Theseus, Jacob. I’m glad you could make it.’ Dumbledore said.

‘It was no problem. What’s the issue?’ Theseus responded.

‘It’s Grindelwald. After almost two years of laying low, he’s returned.’

Theseus saw Jacob tense in the corner of his eye. He showed no such reaction; the victory in Leipzig was a set-back for the dark wizard, but it wasn’t a defeat. Grindelwald was always going to come back after licking his wounds.

‘It’s because of the Wall Street crashes, isn’t it?’ Jacob said.

His question got a weak grin from Dumbledore.

‘Very good, Jacob. You’re right. I have reason to believe Grindelwald is using the rising anti-muggle sentiment from the bank problems to further his own cause.’

Dumbledore looked extremely tired as he said this. Theseus could understand that. Hogwarts work was heavy enough, and the search for Grindelwald had been painfully worthless. And that was failing to mention the rising economic issues that were plaguing the world. It was mentally draining work.

‘Have you had any luck with the blood pact?’ Jacob asked.

This elicited a sigh from Dumbledore. He turned away, dragging his hands down his face. He walked around to the other side of his desk and pulled a drawer open. Reaching into it, he clasped a small, silvery object between two fingers. Theseus drew a sharp breath. It was the Blood Pact, fully intact. Dumbledore didn’t usually show it to people, even when Theseus and Jacob had been trying to help him destroy it.

‘I was a fool to make this.’ Dumbledore said, bitterness in his voice, looking at the Pact. ‘I was a blasted fool to ever trust him.’

Theseus almost flinched at the waves of anger and hurt pouring off Dumbledore. He had never seen the Professor like this. Dumbledore had been angry in Theseus’ presence before, but it was always fleeting, passing soon after it arrived. This was different. The whole room seemed to get tighter as Dumbledore’s anger rose.

Dumbledore threw the Blood Pact against the wall. Theseus followed its path through the air, watched as it flew towards the stone wall on the other side of the office. Before it made contact, a small magical bubble formed around the Pact, allowing it to bounce harmlessly off the wall.

Jacob, who was nearest, picked the Pact up and placed it back on Dumbledore’s desk. Dumbledore looked as though he was going to do something extremely regrettable to it.

‘Forget the Pact, Professor. Why did you call us here?’ Theseus asked, trying to diffuse the situation.

It worked. Dumbledore’s anger dissipated; he leant back against his desk, looking tired once more. Theseus conjured two chairs. He gestured for Jacob to sit in one while he sat in the other. He watched Dumbledore slowly compose himself again. Some of the weariness faded from the older man’s face and his sharp eyes regained their famous calculating look.

‘I know where Grindelwald is making his next move.’ he finally said, fury over the Blood Pact forgotten.

Theseus shot up out of his seat. Jacob didn’t follow suit, but he did sit up a lot straighter.

‘Where? This is our opportunity! I’ll contact the Ministry –‘ Theseus started to exclaim.

‘We can’t use the Ministry, Theseus.’ Dumbledore said.

Jacob finally stood up, seemingly outraged at Dumbledore’s decision.

‘Why not? They’re the ones with the trained Dark Wizard catchers.’ He asked incredulously.

Dumbledore paused for a moment, allowing silence to settle in the office. His expression was foreboding when he finally responded.

‘I believe – with good reason – that the Ministry has been compromised by agents of Grindelwald. If we are to have any success in stopping his plans, we must work independently.’

Theseus could’ve sworn his heart had stopped. He had close friends in the Ministry. Could they just be spies for Grindelwald, trying to get close to Dumbledore? It wasn’t as if the connection between Theseus and Dumbledore was anything private. Only a few days ago the _Daily Prophet_ had mentioned that they were close friends in a piece about the new curricula Ballywog had created.

The instincts that had made Theseus such a successful Auror began to kick in. He needed to cut ties to the Ministry. The defeat of Grindelwald was more important than a few friendships.

‘Fine, no Ministry. Where are we going?’ Jacob said.

‘He’s making a move on Berlin with a group of his best acolytes.’ Dumbledore said, before turning to Theseus. ‘You will need the help of others if you’re going to stop him.’

‘Not to worry, Professor. I know a few people that would be more than willing to help.’ Theseus replied.

‘I’m coming with you.’ Jacob suddenly said.

Theseus made to protest, but Dumbledore raised a hand. He then smiled at Jacob, a proper smile, not the weak thing he had used prior.

‘Your bravery never fails to surprise me, Jacob.’ Dumbledore said.

‘It ain’t bravery, Professor Dumbledore. It’s doing what’s right.’

Theseus felt himself smile as well. Despite being a Muggle, Jacob had the heart of a hundred wizards. He was stupid to try and protest his role as part of the team. He walked over to his friend and clapped him on the shoulder.

‘I’ll leave you to contact Newt and Tina, shall I? We’ll need them.’

‘That is a good idea. I will call you back to organise the mission once you’ve gathered who you need. Thank you for meeting me.’ Dumbledore said.

Both Theseus and Jacob nodded. Jacob was the first to leave, taking the direction to the Owlery to send the word to Newt and Tina. Theseus was about to follow when he remembered something he had overheard at lunch.

‘Is something wrong, Theseus?’ Dumbledore asked, seemingly reading Theseus’ mind.

‘I think those third-year Gryffindors of yours are planning something. I thought it best to warn you.’

Dumbledore paused for a moment, before letting out a small chuckle.

‘They are insufferable, aren’t they?’ Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling.

Theseus laughed heartily, before leaving Dumbledore’s office. He walked out the door and took the path to his own office. Once he arrived, he closed the door. He stuck a simple locking charm to ensure he would not be interrupted.

Pulling his wand out of his sleeve, he cast the Patronus Charm. A large silver lion burst out from the tip of his wand. As it floated around the room, Theseus cast several more. Once he had a small group of Patronus lions waiting expectantly, he gave them his message.

‘Grindelwald’s going for Berlin. Come to Hogwarts as soon as you can and tell no one. Dumbledore needs us.’

Theseus paused, waiting for the Patronus lions to register his message. Once he had this confirmation, he gave them names to take the message to. As each Patronus heard its target, they bounded through the walls of his office, heading the required direction to complete their task. Soon, only one was left.

‘Yusuf Kama. Ensure Nagini is there when you deliver it.’

The Patronus lion leapt up through the roof once Theseus finished speaking. Once it was out of sight, Theseus ended the locking charm on his door. Conjuring some homework that needed marking, Theseus sat at his desk. He would receive replies from his contacts soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theseus as a Professor at Hogwarts was so much fun to write.  
> I hope Dumbledore in this chapter still works as Dumbledore.
> 
> Next chapter is a Tina perspective as they arrive in Berlin.
> 
> Comments and criticism are welcome and appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading!


	11. Expecto Patronum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald is making a move on Berlin. Tina and Newt arrive at Hogwarts to take the trip to Berlin to fight him. They discover what Grindelwald is using and Tina learns something new.

Tina

_Newt and Tina,_

_Dumbledore thinks Grindelwald is going for Berlin. Come to Hogwarts as soon as you can._

_Your friend, Jacob._

Tina’s grip the scrap of parchment tightened as she finished reading it. She had been surprised to receive an owl so late in the evening – Newt had already gone to bed – but the contents of letter had surprised her even more. While Grindelwald’s acolytes had been perpetrating various crimes over the last two years, there had been little evidence that any major plan was in the works for Grindelwald and his army. Of course, that was before the world’s economy had crashed. A time of great social upheaval was the perfect time for a political terrorist like Grindelwald to strike. Hours of studying famous past Auror cases had taught her this.

Tina placed the now scrunched parchment back on the table and hurried to Newt’s room. It may be late, but if they hurried they should be able to get to Hogwarts before the stroke of midnight. She burst into Newt’s room, expecting to see him asleep. She was surprised to find that he wasn’t in the room at all.

She stepped further into the room, to see if there was any sign of where he could’ve gone. She had just finished looking under the bed when she heard the loud footsteps pounding down the hall. Tina shot up, facing the doorway, as Newt ran in, clutching a scrunched piece of parchment.

‘Tina! Dumbledore knows where Grindelwald’s making his next move! We have to go to – wait, this letter is why you’re in my room, isn’t it?’ Newt said, all very quickly.

‘Yes. I thought you had gone to bed?’ Tina said calmly.

Newt looked rather sheepish for a few moments before responding.

‘Uh, well, I was going to do that, but then Mildred came bounding up the stairs, so I tried to get her back into the basement. One thing led to another and I ended up doing the rounds again. Then I came back upstairs and saw the letter from Jacob and tried to find you.’

‘You’re hopeless,’ Tina said, rolling her eyes. ‘We best get going. I have a feeling Dumbledore would not like to be kept waiting.’

Newt hesitated for a moment. Curious, Tina gave him an inquisitive glance, hoping he would say what he was thinking without further prompting.

‘Bunty doesn’t arrive until eight tomorrow. I don’t like the idea of leaving my beasts on their own,’ he said.

‘They’ll be alright; most of them are sleeping anyway. We’re only leaving them alone for a few hours,’ Tina said, trying to placate him.

She should’ve known better. When it came to his beasts, Newt would not give an inch. Seeing the fierce look appearing in Newt’s eyes, Tina admitted defeat. She held up her hands in deference to his stubbornness.

‘Alright, we’ll wait until Bunty arrives,’ she said.

‘Thank you. I’m just not comfortable leaving them alone for eight hours.’

Tina’s heart warmed at his care for his beasts, prompting her to walk up and give him a quick kiss. As she pulled away, Newt gave her an incredulous look.

‘I think pregnancy has made you soft,’ he said, a teasing smile wide on his face.

‘Watch your tongue, Scamander. Pregnancy hasn’t made me forget how to hex,’ she quipped back.

And before he had the chance to reply, she swept out of the room.

*******

Tina had managed to doze off soon after midnight, but she awoke with a start in the early morning. Realising she was not going to get back to sleep, she decided to get up. Changing out of her pyjamas into suitable clothing for meeting Dumbledore, Tina left her room.

Entering the kitchen, she was not surprised to Newt already there with a hot drink. It was currently Clabbert breeding season; the creatures went through the process before dawn. Newt had been waking up extremely early to help them through the process; these Clabberts had been rescued, therefore hadn’t been taught the mating rituals by a parent. In typical Newt fashion, he had also been going to bed far too late.

Newt looked up and grunted a greeting. Dark rings under his eyes were badly pronounced. His normally sharp eyes were bleary, and it seemed that he was zoning in and out of focus. Fearful that he may drop his mug, Tina took it out of his hands and placed it on the counter. She settled her hands on his shoulders and looked into his tired eyes.

‘Newt, it’s still early. Get some sleep before Bunty arrives,’ she said.

‘It’s ‘kay, ‘m no’ tired,’ Newt mumbled back.

‘I don’t think that was English, Newt. Go to sleep, I’ll wake you up when Bunty arrives.’

It was a testament to the fact Newt was tired that he protested no further. He left to his room. Hopeful that he would be in better stead when they went to Hogwarts, Tina went to make herself a coffee. She was about to take a sip when she remembered that she was, in fact, pregnant, and it was perhaps a good idea to limit the intake of unnecessary food and drink.

‘Just when I thought pregnancy couldn’t get any worse,’ Tina grumbled to herself.

Tina didn’t end up waking Newt when Bunty arrived; she simply told Bunty herself that they may be gone a while, and that she was welcome to stay and look after the beasts. Bunty happily agreed, going downstairs to begin on the morning’s work. Newt had then been lucky enough to get an extra hour’s sleep, as a bout of morning sickness had struck Tina quite hard. By the time she was cleaned up and ready to go, it was nine o’clock.

Bursting into Newt’s room to wake him, Tina was pleasantly surprised to see he had fallen asleep fully dressed, meaning he could save time getting ready. Rather than trying to shake him awake, she slipped her wand out of her sleeve and cast a Reviving Spell. Newt slowly stirred from his rest. Tina watched as he looked at the clock, as he slowly realised that it had been an hour since Bunty was meant to arrive. He shot up, eyes panicked, relaxing only when he saw Tina in the doorway.

‘Tina – you said you’d wake me up when Bunty arrived!’ Newt said.

‘I lied. Get up, we’re going to Hogwarts,’ Tina said.

Newt looked at her, baffled, but she was determined they meet with Dumbledore promptly. Seeing her stubbornness, Newt seemed to decide it wasn’t worth the argument, getting up from his bed. Tina led him out to the entrance hall, shouted a goodbye to Bunty, and exited Newt’s home. Once they were past the Fidelius threshold, she grabbed Newt’s arm and disapparated.

They landed rather heavily in the small village of Hogsmeade. Tina shot Newt an apologetic glance, only to see him looking at her critically. She turned to face him, placing her hands on her hips confrontationally.

‘What?’ she snapped.

‘You shouldn’t apparate. You’re pregnant and it’s not recommended by Healers,’ Newt said.

Tina felt a slither of anger coil at the bottom of her stomach. She didn’t even want to get pregnant; now he was going to lecture her about it? Knowing that she was about to get irrationally angry, she stormed up the Hogsmeade street to the school gates.

It was still morning, so only a few people were milling about, and a few of the more popular stores were closed. She passed the Three Broomsticks, which was the only establishment in Hogsmeade that seemed to have more than a few people. It was meant to be one of the most popular wizarding inns in Britain; Tina had never entered it, she was going off Newt’s word.

She moved past the inn and reached the gates. She expected to have to send a message of some variety, but Theseus Scamander, Newt’s brother, was waiting there already. Seeing her arrive, he fired a cheeky grin her way.

‘Left my brother behind? I can’t say I blame you.’ he said, clearly enjoying the sight of something behind her. Tina followed his gaze to see Newt hurriedly walking up the street.

‘He’s been a little annoying, or I’ve been a little irritable. I can’t really tell anymore.’ Tina said.

Theseus’ grin widened into a full smirk.

‘Knowing you two, it was probably both,’ he said.

Tina would’ve responded had Newt not caught up, panting slightly. He looked at her, his expression one of apology, but said nothing, obviously wary of his brother’s presence. Tina felt her anger cool, but it didn’t go away. Theseus, oblivious to this, walked up and pulled him into a tight hug. Newt stiffened in the embrace.

‘It’s good to see you, Newt. It’s been too long.’

Newt relaxed slightly at his words, even awkwardly placing his hands around Theseus. His brother obviously sensed his discomfort, releasing him from the hug.

‘Okay, follow me. Dumbledore’s waiting in his office,’ Theseus said, leading the two of them through the school gates.

The walk to the castle was not as varied as the streets of Hogsmeade. They walked up a long dirt path, flanked by deep-green trees, that looked as though several charms had been placed on them to keep them healthy. Before long, they had reached the large entrance doors into the castle. Theseus tapped them with his wand, and they swung open.

They started to walk through the castle. As they passed the great hall, several students wandered out. A few older-looking students with a yellow trim on their robes stopped and stared. Theseus paused for a moment to look at them.

‘Puckle, Scrimgeour, I know for a _fact_ that you both have a class to be getting to. Move it! You’re already late!’ he said sharply, sending them scurrying off.

They continued further into the castle and after a few staircases and turns, they arrived at Dumbledore’s office. Theseus didn’t even knock, he simply opened the door and entered. Tina and Newt shared a glance before following him in.

Dumbledore’s office had changed little since the last time Tina had entered it. The only difference was the far smaller pile of papers on his desk – term had just started – and the larger group of people gathered around the room, obviously waiting for Albus Dumbledore, who was seated at his desk, to say something. Tina recognised a few of them. Yusuf Kama stood with an elegant Asian woman in a long green dress; Tina was shocked to realise that it was Nagini, the Maledictus from Paris. Two tall men with thick black hair and long trench coats that Tina recognised as Auror uniform stood off to the side whispering between one another. A woman with mousy brown hair and a cold look in her eye leant against the wall, listening to a young-looking, lanky man with bright red hair that reminded Tina of Bunty. Perhaps he was a Weasley, as Tina had learnt they were one of the few pureblood families that respected the No-Maj community.

In front of Dumbledore’s desk, three others stood, two men and one woman, conversing with the seated Dumbledore. To Dumbledore’s left was a stodgy, middle-aged man with a grizzled auburn beard, a pockmarked and greenish face, and a long ponytail at the back of his head. He was getting worked up about something, gesticulating wildly. Next to the stodgy man was a wizened old lady with snow-white hair, half the height of Tina and hunched, who was having to deftly dodge the waving arms of the man next to her. Finally, to Dumbledore’s left, was a short man in a deep maroon suit. He turned around at the sound of the door closing, revealing that it was none other than Jacob.

Newt shifted next to her; he had noticed their No-Maj friend as well. It only took a few seconds longer for Jacob to see them. His face lit up and he walked over to them, arms outstretched. He pulled both Newt and Tina into a squeezing hug, knocking the breath out of Tina.

‘Jacob, you saw us both only two weeks ago,’ Tina said, wheezing slightly as she regained her breath.

Jacob released her, but kept an arm around Newt, the two of them beaming.

‘Two weeks is too long! This castle gets stuffy,’ Jacob said.

Tina had another retort on her tongue, but Dumbledore chose that moment to stand up from his desk. He waited for moment for silence, looking around the room piercingly. The chatter stopped almost immediately, and all eyes focused on where he stood. Tina watched as Dumbledore drew a breath and then started talking.

‘Thank you all for coming to Hogwarts so quickly. I know the information provided was vague, but we could not risk interception by any followers of Grindelwald. You have shown great strength of character by choosing to fight instead of hoping the world’s collective ruling bodies will succeed.

‘As you all know, Grindelwald is going after Berlin. We know nothing as to his intentions there, only that he must be stopped. Theseus will lead you. Remember to be smart about confronting the acolytes. There are far more of them than there are of us. I do not think Grindelwald will care if he loses a few followers, but we cannot waste lives in our resistance.’

‘Excuse me, Albus. You say Theseus will be leading us. Are you not coming?’ the pockmarked man interrupted. Dumbledore looked at him, regret in his eyes.

‘I am afraid that I cannot face Grindelwald yet, Elphias. I will not be coming,’ Dumbledore said.

The room erupted with noise at Dumbledore’s statement. Most of the people looked outraged at the idea Dumbledore would not be coming along. Tina was surprised; did they not know about the Blood Pact? She turned to Newt, who looked just as confused as she was.

‘The Blood Pact is need-to-know information. Most of the people here don’t know about it.’ Jacob whispered.

‘Why can’t we tell these people? Aren’t they here to help?’ Newt whispered back.

‘Dumbledore and Theseus aren’t entirely certain we can trust all of them. Therefore, they don’t need to know about the Blood Pact,’ Jacob said.

Tina nodded. It was standard Auror protocol as well; those that don’t need to know something are not told about it. The Blood Pact was a crucial piece in the puzzle of Grindelwald. If he found out how close or how far away they were from destroying the Pact, it could cause dangerous problems.

‘SILENCE!’ Dumbledore boomed.

The room went dead silent. Tina glanced around; all eyes were on Dumbledore now. He stared back, a sharp look in his eyes. The room seemed to be alight with tension, prickling at Tina’s skin. The stand off lasted for another few moments before Dumbledore let out a sigh. The tension dissipated away from the room. Tina released a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding.

‘There is a powerful magic preventing me from fighting Grindelwald. If I was to come along, there would be a chance that events could go horribly wrong. Theseus is a capable wizard. I doubt you will even notice that I am not there,’ Dumbledore said.

It was clear to Tina that the conversation was over. Others seemed to realise this as well. There was still grumbling from several people, but no one made any more complaints. Tina’s sharp Auror eye noticed a silent exchange between Theseus and Dumbledore. Theseus gave a nod to the Professor and moved to the door.

‘If you could all follow me. We will be using a portkey located in Hogsmeade to reach Berlin,’ he said.

Newt looked like he was about to say something about Tina’s pregnancy in front of everyone, so Tina elbowed him in the side. When he looked at her, in surprise, she gave him a look that she hoped portrayed the idea of ‘later’. Jacob caught the exchange, a puzzled look on his face. Tina shook her head slightly to stop him asking any awkward questions.

‘Do you know who all these people are?’ she asked, hoping to further distract Jacob.

‘Yeah, I do. Dumbledore and Theseus introduced me,’ Jacob said. ‘The two guys in the long coats are the Gadeon twins, William and Albert; they’re our guys on the inside of the Ministry.

‘The guy with the beard and ponytail and the old lady next to him are Elphias Doge and Mary Prewett. They’re friends of Dumbledore’s; he wouldn’t say much about how he knows them.

‘That grumpy-looking lady and the red-head with her are mother and son; Anna and Bilius Abbott. Theseus sent for them. They were two of the best Aurors Theseus worked with, according to the man himself. They were at Paris, apparently, but they quit the Aurors afterwards.

‘Finally, you already know Yusuf and Nagini Kama. They’re the people Theseus has worked closest with, so I guess they were always guaranteed to be here.’

‘Wait, Yusuf and Nagini _Kama_? They got married?’ Tina said.

‘No! Yusuf adopted Nagini. It was the only way for him to bring her around with him without suspicion, since he’s an important... pureblood? I think that’s what you guys call them,’ Jacob said, chuckling slightly.

The group swiftly followed Theseus down some stairs. The castle seemed to have changed slightly in the few minutes that had passed since Tina had walked through to reach Dumbledore’s office. The path seemed shorter and before long, they had walked past the great hall again, reaching the exterior of the school.

They took the path down from the castle to the school gates once more. Theseus flicked his wand, casting the spell to open the gates, and the group stepped across, removing themselves from the school premises. Theseus closed them with another flick, before gesturing for the group to follow him off the main street of Hogsmeade into a small alleyway.

‘There’s a portkey waiting to take us to Berlin at the end of this alleyway; it looks like an old boot. We’ll go in groups. The Gadeons and the Abbotts can go first,’ Theseus said.

Tina’s stomach gave a worried leap. Although she had rather carelessly apparated to Hogsmeade, portkeys were another beast. Apparation while pregnant could lead to some unfortunate splinches but nothing worse. However, portkey travel was a different sort of magic that was also discouraged for use during pregnancy. She had no idea what could happen.

Tina felt Newt’s hand on the small of her back; she leant into his shoulder, seeking the reassurance Newt’s presence provided her. He leant back, obviously just as concerned about the idea of portkey. Despite this, she was still determined to go on the mission, and hoped Newt wouldn’t try to stop her.

Ahead of them, the Gadeon twins and the Abbotts were standing in a circle, all holding an old, battered boot. The boot started to shake wildly before there was a blinding glow of blue light. Tina blinked her eyes back into focus. The Gadeons and the Abbotts had disappeared, along with the boot.

‘The portkey should be back in a minute or so,’ Theseus said.

Tina looked at Newt. He was looking worried about the idea of her using the portkey. She gave his left cheek a gentle caress with the back of her hand. Newt was the worrier of the two. Tina could usually grit her teeth and muscle through problems, but Newt would often overthink the issue. Of course, it was usually up to her to calm him down, even when she was worried herself.

A sharp pull on her shoulder spun her around. Jacob, pulling Newt aside as well, looked at her with an unsettled expression.

‘What is going on with you two?’ Jacob said, concern in his voice. ‘You’re both acting really strange.’

Newt gave Tina a slight nudge. She understood; he was giving her the lead, letting her decide if she wanted to tell Jacob what was going on. She appreciated the sentiment as Newt could often accidentally overshare with people he trusted. Tina gave the thought of not telling Jacob what was wrong a moment, but quickly shut it down. Jacob was their closest friend, the sort of person you told life-changing events.

‘Let’s just say that there is another Scamander coming in the future,’ she said, hoping Jacob would catch the meaning.

Jacob’s unsettled expression almost immediately gave way to a wide smile. His face lit up enough to guide ships into the docks. He wrapped his arms around the two of them, giving them another tight hug.

‘That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you –‘

‘Keep it down!’ Newt hissed.

‘Sorry, sorry. But this is amazing, you are going to be great parents. When is it due?’ Jacob asked excitedly.

‘We’ll talk about this _after_ the mission,’ Tina said.

Jacob looked slightly upset for a moment before smiling again. He winked and mouthed ‘later’. Tina rolled her eyes at him in response.

There was another flash of blue light as the old boot arrived back in the alleyway. Theseus directed Elphias Doge, Mary Prewett, Yusuf, and Nagini to take it. They stood in the same fashion as the group before them, all holding the boot. Nagini looked somewhat apprehensive; Tina supposed she was still getting used to the life of a wizard. After a few seconds, there was another flash of blue, and they disappeared.

That left Theseus, Jacob, and Newt as part of the final travel group. Theseus gave them a grin which Tina took to mean that he had done that on purpose. Next to her, Newt shifted awkwardly, like he wanted to say something. Tina realised a few seconds too late what he was about to say.

‘I – I don’t think Tina should come on the mission,’ Newt blurted out.

There was a moment of stunned silence. Theseus and Jacob looked at Newt as though he had just tried to cast the Killing Curse on them. Tina gave him the most vicious glare in her repertoire and felt a sick sense of glee as he wilted under it.

‘Why not?’ Theseus asked.

‘I’m pregnant and dearest Newt thinks that I shouldn’t use the portkey to travel,’ Tina interjected before Newt could answer, the anger from earlier in the morning returning in force.

‘Well, the healers do say to avoid it where possible,’ Theseus said.

‘YOU ARE NOT LEAVING ME BEHIND!’ Tina yelled, the anger erupting out of her. ‘I AM NOT JUST A BABY-CARRIER! THIS ISN’T _POSSIBLE_ TO AVOID! I AM COMING TO BERLIN, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY!’

The Scamander brothers stepped back in shock at her outburst. Jacob didn’t; he had seen the worst of her during the month they lived together. A blue flash announced the return of the portkey. Tina stepped out and grabbed it, steaming with anger, daring anyone to tell her otherwise. Jacob moved beside her, taking hold of the portkey. After a pause, Newt and Theseus joined them. Newt was avoiding Tina’s eyes. Theseus, on the other hand, met her gaze. There was a new look in his eyes, a respect that had never been there before.

She barely had time to process his look before the portkey glowed blue, and an invisible hook seemed to grab her navel, pulling her in. There was a wild twisting sensation as Tina’s surroundings blurred, before it stopped suddenly. Tina dropped her hand from the boot, feeling ill. No matter how often she used portkeys, they always left her with nausea.

She realised that her surroundings had changed quite dramatically. No longer were they in alley in Hogsmeade. They were beside a concrete road. There were no cars driving on it, which Tina found strange, as it was only ten in the morning. In the distance, a large city loomed on the horizon. Tina assumed this was Berlin.

Theseus had already begun delegating the others, organising teams and orders. The boot began to glow again, to head back to its starting position. Yusuf Kama pointed this out to Theseus, who spun around with his wand out.

‘ _Delustro,_ ’ he said, and the boot stopped glowing.

He was about to go back to delegating when Mary Prewett pointed at the sky with great excitement.

‘Look! Look there!’ she said.

Tina and the others followed her gaze to see a black figure in a tattered cloak floating through the sky towards a rocky outcropping. She was entirely unsure as to what it was, but the reaction of the British wizards seemed to imply that it was something bad.

Theseus pointed his wand at the figure and muttered something under his breath. A small floating light appeared in front of him. He turned back to the others, a grim look on his face.

‘It looks like Grindelwald has the allegiance of the Dementors. This light will show us the way to where that one is heading. Follow me,’ he said.

Tina hadn’t ever seen a Dementor before, as the United States had no known colonies of them, but she had heard terrible things about them. They sounded like horrible creatures to face, and Tina was not looking forward to having to fight them as well. As they walked, Jacob stepped up beside her.

‘What is a Dementor? I couldn’t see a thing,’ he said.

‘Muggles can’t see Dementors. Stay close to Tina and me, you’ll need a wizard with you,’ Newt said, stepping to the other side of Tina. The fury that Tina had been feeling before the portkey reared its ugly head again.

‘Oh, it’s the two of us, is it? Funny how that changed in a single portkey trip,’ Tina said scathingly.

Newt didn’t rise to the bait. He simply ran his hands down his face, looking especially strained. He turned his face to Tina as they walked, finally meeting her gaze.

‘I’m sorry, Tina. I was just worried about you, and the baby – I still am. However, I should’ve respected your choice, especially as you seem to be completely fine,’ Newt said.

Tina’s anger faded away. His apology was sincere, and she hadn’t wanted to be angry in the first place. She was tired and didn’t want to be treated differently because she was pregnant. She didn’t know how to put this into words, so she grabbed Newt’s face and pulled him into a brief kiss. The look on his face as they broke apart told her he had understood completely. Jacob gave an excited squeak.

‘You’re going to be the best parents,’ he said, grinning.

Tina gave him another roll of her eyes, while Newt gave a stupid grin back. She refocused on following Theseus, only to find that they had reached their destination. It was a craggy rock face, with several holes in it that looked like they had been tunnelled in.

Theseus immediately began delegating groups to go down each separate hole. Mary Prewett and Elphias Doge went down one of the central ones; William and Albert Gadeon were sent down another one on its left. The Abbotts went down another on its right, leaving two tunnels on the far right.

‘Yusuf, Nagini, and I will take the furthest tunnel. You three take the closer one. Jacob, remember to stay close to Newt and Tina,’ Theseus said.

With that, Theseus and the Kamas left down their tunnel. Tina decided to take charge. She led the other two down the tunnel. She was happy to see that Newt made sure Jacob was in between the two of them, as they could see the threat.

The first thing Tina noticed about the tunnel was how cold it was. It wasn’t the normal cold, where it was simply a lower temperature; it was a deep cold, that chilled her body and leeched any happiness out of her. Bad memories threatened to surface, but she managed to force them down.

‘Is it just me, or is it suddenly really cold in here?’ Jacob asked.

‘It’s the effect of the Dementors. They feed off happiness and joy, leaving only misery in their wake,’ Newt said grimly.

Tina tried not to think of a black-cloaked figure sucking the happiness out of her. The tunnel was unsettling enough as it was. Suddenly, the tunnel got much colder. Oppressive misery seemed to weigh down on Tina’s soul. She vaguely heard Newt shouting for them to have their wands out, but she was too late to register it. A floating figure in a tattered and mouldy cloak flew at her with great force, knocking her the ground. A horrible rattling noise filled her ears.

She saw a gnarled, clawed hand slide out from under the cloak before the bad memories pushed their way up. White fog seemed to cover her eyes. The ground seemed to spin… she was in the MACUSA headquarters, and Madam Picquery was yelling at her… she was being demoted from the Aurors… the world spun again… she was in Père-Lachaise… blue flames surrounded her, a taste of ash on her tongue… Queenie was stepping through the flames to Grindelwald’s side… Tina could do nothing to stop her…

There was a flash of bright silver light and the fog suddenly lifted. The chill that had filled her bones seemed to disappear, replaced by a warmth that reminded Tina of sitting by the fire when she was young, listening to her mother’s stories. She looked up to see the Dementor being driven back by a silver creature. On a closer look she realised it was a Niffler. It kept charging at the Dementor, which let out a foul noise and fled further down the tunnel. The silver Niffler, apparently satisfied that it was gone, faded into nothingness.

‘Tina! Are you alright?’ Newt asked desperately, as he and Jacob rushed to her side.

‘What was that?’ she asked in response.

‘It was a Dementor –‘

‘No, not that. The silver Niffler that pushed it away,’ Tina interrupted.

Newt looked at her, bewildered, as if he was surprised she didn’t know about it.

‘That was the Patronus Charm. Surely you would’ve covered it in Auror training?’

Tina tried to think about whether she had heard of it before. A memory from several years ago surfaced. They had covered the Patronus briefly, both in school and Auror training. Neither lesson had been particularly detailed, as it had been made clear that it was a difficult charm that they were unlikely to get any use out of.

‘We did, but only briefly. There are no Dementors in America,’ she said.

Newt grimaced at that, as if he knew better than MACUSA. However, he didn’t say anything, instead gesturing to a terrified-looking Jacob to follow. Tina quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him from going any further. He had knowledge that she wanted to learn.

‘Teach me how to cast a Patronus. I’m going to need it,’ Tina said.

‘You’re right. Get your wand out,’ Newt said.

Tina was unmeasurably glad that he had agreed. She followed his instructions, taking her wand out of her pocket, and taking the defensive wand stance. She looked back at him, ready to be taught the rest of the steps.

‘The Patronus is a spell made of the things Dementors feed on. Therefore, to cast it, you’ll need to think of a happy memory and then use the incantation ‘ _Expecto Patronum_ ’. It – It has to be a deeply happy memory to work successfully,’ Newt said.

‘How does that Patronus thing choose what creature it is?’ Jacob asked, intrigue beating out terror.

‘I’m not actually certain,’ Newt admitted. ‘Supposedly it has something to do with your inner psyche.’

Tina, not nearly as curious in the form her Patronus would take, coughed to bring the attention back to her. Jacob and Newt both murmured apologies. Tina refocused on her wand. She scraped her mind for happy memories, settling on Newt’s return to New York after Paris. She raised her wand.

‘Expecto Patronum!’ she shouted.

A silvery mist burst from the end of her wand, hanging in the air for a few seconds before dissipating. She looked at Newt, who was beaming, to her surprise.

‘That was really good!’ he said. ‘That mist is a far better first attempt than most. It’s certainly enough to drive the Dementors back for a few seconds!’

Tina wasn’t happy with only a few seconds, but it was clear that creating a corporeal form would require further practice, which they didn’t have time for. She took point again, Newt bringing up the rear.

As they went further into the tunnel, it became too dark to see anything. Tina and Newt both cast Lumos, giving them a reasonable field of vision to press forward. They were arriving at a bend in the tunnel when it suddenly got extremely cold. The air seemed to thicken with misery. It was far worse than with the single Dementor; this was much more oppressive. It could only mean one thing: multiple Dementors.

Tina raised her wand and pushed Jacob against the wall behind her. Newt took his other side, the two of them watching the two possible angles the Dementors could come through. The temperature cooled even further; the misery in the air thickened. Jacob tried to stifle a sob. The malignant presence seemed to draw closer and closer. It seemed to be right on top of their position when the lights at the ends of their wands were snuffed out.

The wheezy, awful rattling of the Dementors came soon after. It was echoing from each direction, the noise filling the tunnel. It was a chorus, sounding like there were hundreds of Dementors coming from all around Tina.

A bright silver flash appeared to Tina’s right. Newt’s Niffler Patronus was charging into a large group of Dementors, forcing them back, trying to stop them from reaching Newt and Jacob. Tina was so caught in the moment that she didn’t hear the rattling coming from her side until a Dementor was almost on top of her.

‘Expecto Patronum!’ she said, pointing her wand at the closest Dementor.

A silvery cloud weakly poured out of her wand. In its brief light, she could see a large mass of Dementors flying towards her. The Patronus she cast was barely enough to briefly push them back. She was forced to take a step back herself as gnarled claws reached out at her. She focused on the memory of her mother reading to her and Queenie by the fire.

‘Expecto Patronum!’ she yelled again. The silvery cloud was stronger this time, forcing the Dementors back, but it dissipated quickly, and the Dementors rushed forwards again.

White fog started to close around the edges of her vision. The memory of her mother reading to her twisted, changed into something else. Tina was standing in front of two coffins… it was her parents’ funeral… they were dead, claimed by dragon pox…

Tina tried to gather her thoughts… she needed to push them back… Newt couldn’t defend two places at once…

She tried to pull up the memory of admitting her love for Newt… she could barely see it in her mind’s eye… but it was there, she had to try and use it…

‘Expecto Patronum,’ she said, unable to yell it.

Little more than wisp of silver came out of her wand. The Dementors weren’t even fazed, continuing forward. One of them knocked Tina to the floor. She could hardly focus anymore, sadness was overwhelming her.

‘Expecto Patronum…’ she trailed off. Not even a wisp of silver came out of her wand. The Dementors, sensing that she was defeated, closed in faster, hands pushing each other away, desperate to be the one to feed on Tina.

Tina couldn’t think… the white fog was closing in, she was struggling to stay conscious… she couldn’t faint… Jacob was in danger… so was Newt… she worried for the unborn child she was carrying… she couldn’t fail, not here…

The thought of her pregnancy heartened her, pushing the fog back slightly. She pushed herself back from the closest Dementors. Her mind cleared slightly. Realising it was the only thing keeping her conscious, she focused in on her child. The memory of learning that she was pregnant forced its way into her mind. She remembered the confusion, the fear, the anger, and… the happiness.

She was happy about being pregnant. She wanted to raise her and Newt’s child; she wanted to have her and Newt’s child. The very thought of it filled her with happiness. Tina felt a surge of power in her chest with the realisation. She raised her wand, pointing it at the cloud of Dementors closing in.

‘EXPECTO PATRONUM!’ she shouted, at the top of her lungs.

From the tip of her wand came an extremely bright silver figure that immediately charged into the Dementors. Its light filled the entire tunnel, the Dementors hissing and flying back from it as it ran into them. Tina looked around to see Jacob and Newt following her corporeal Patronus with their gaze, as it was powerful enough to push all the Dementors away. It showed no signs of dissipating, so the Dementors fled, rushing past the trio further down the tunnel.

Once they were all gone, the air lightened, and the temperature warmed again. Tina pushed herself to her feet. With the threat of the Dementors gone, she was able to take a closer look at her Patronus, which was still floating around. When she realised what it was, she let out a joyous laugh. Newt and Jacob both gave her a funny look.

‘It’s a Salamander. Of course, it’s a Salamander,’ Tina said, beaming widely.

Her joy seemed to rub off on the other two, and they laughed appreciatively as well. Tina met Newt’s gaze to see a warm love in them. Her Patronus (which had finally dissipated) had obviously made him realise just how much she loved him in return. Unfortunately, they were still on a mission, and had a job to do.

‘We need to follow them further into the cave,’ Newt said. ‘They could lead us to Grindelwald.’

‘That was the worst experience of my life, and I couldn’t see what was going on. You want to go through it again?’ Jacob asked incredulously.

‘He’s right, we have to find out what Grindelwald is planning,’ Tina said.

Jacob looked between the two, disbelieving, before realising he was outnumbered. With a grumble, he fell into step behind Tina as she pressed forward, wand lit once more.

It turned out that there was only ten minutes of tunnel left. They took a few more bends and turns before they reached an opening into a wide cavern. Tina was about to say something when she saw hundreds of Dementors, all rushing out of a hole at the top of the cavern. Unlike only ten minutes earlier, not a single Dementor took notice of them, all focused on flooding out of the cavern into the world above.

‘If they’re ignoring us, that can only mean one thing,’ Newt said. ‘They’re going for Berlin.’

Tina’s blood ran cold.

‘We have to warn Theseus and the others,’ she replied. ‘We’ve become the city’s only hope.’

The three of them turned and ran back down the tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is by far the longest chapter. I didn't intend for it to be, but one thing led to another and here we are.  
> Uploads are going to be more erratic from now on. I've got Uni work that needs doing, so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up.  
> I hope you liked this one, despite the wait.  
> Next chapter is from Newt's POV, continuing in Berlin.
> 
> Comments and criticism are welcome and appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading!


	12. City of Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt, Tina, Jacob and the rest of the witches and wizards sent by Dumbledore must stop a horde of Dementors from overtaking Berlin.

Newt

The echoes of footsteps filled the cavern with noise, but Newt took little notice. He was trying to remember if the path he, Tina and Jacob were taking was the right one. He was fairly confident it was, but the cavern system was dark, and moving through it at pace meant they could’ve easily taken a wrong turn somewhere. Despite this worry, taking a moment to stop and pause seemed out of the question. Only moments ago, they had seen hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Dementors pouring out of the cavern system in the direction of Berlin. It was vital that Newt’s brother Theseus and the rest of the people they came to Germany with were warned of this danger.

A white light became visible in the distance. Hoping it was the exit they were looking for, Newt increased his pace. The increase in echoes told him that Tina and Jacob were doing the same. As the light got closer and closer, it was clearly revealed that it was the exit from the cavern system. Newt ran out, blinded by the natural light for a moment, having adjusted to the dark cavern. Once he could see again, he was greeted with the sight of the Gadeon twins.

‘Where’s Theseus?’ he asked them.

‘He’s still in the caves. Why?’ said one of the twins. Newt couldn’t tell which.

‘There’s a horde of Dementors heading right for Berlin! Do you have a way of contacting the others?’ Tina said impatiently.

The twins shared a disturbed look. Whether it was at the idea of a horde of Dementors or the frantic tone of Tina’s question, Newt could not tell. After a moment, the twin on the left waved his wand, releasing a corporeal Patronus in the shape of a ferret. He whispered a message to the silvery animal, and it sped off down one of the cavern entrances. The other twin turned back to Newt, Tina, and Jacob.

‘Albert will wait here for Theseus and the others to return. We will go to Berlin and assess the danger the Dementors pose to the Muggles,’ he said.

Newt nodded at the suggestion. William acknowledged this, then turned in the direction of the city and began running. Newt, Tina, and Jacob were on his heels in a moment. As they ran closer to the city, Newt noticed that his breath was getting heavier, and the ache in his muscles from running became painful. It seemed to become harder to keep moving forward with every step. Newt could see Jacob and Tina seeming to also struggle with this issue.

There was a flash of bright light as William cast a Patronus. A silver fox glided through the air around the trio. Newt’s aches lifted slightly, making running easier. He reasoned that the sudden increase in aches and pains must be due to the oppressive nature of the Dementors now flooding the outer regions of the city.

As if to prove his point, the morning sky began to fill with swirling dark clouds. A deep fog drifted down to surround them, making it hard for Newt to see further than a few metres ahead of him. The area was looking more like a cold winter night than the late morning that it was. Despite William’s fox Patronus still gliding about, Newt started to feel misery weighing down on his heart. One Patronus was not enough to ward off the sadness that followed a Dementor horde.

William stopped and put his hand up in a halting motion. Newt stopped beside his left side, Jacob on his right, with Tina still watching their rear.

‘Something’s coming,’ William hissed, wand pointed ahead of him.

Newt slipped his own wand out of his coat sleeve and pointed it in the same direction. In his peripheral vision he could see Tina get her own wand out, keeping it trained on their rear. Newt was unsure how William knew someone was coming; the fog had thickened to the point where Newt could barely see the people around him, let alone anyone else.

Another hiss from William brought Newt’s attention back to the issue at hand. The fog shifted further, and the murky silhouette of a figure entered Newt’s field of view. He raised his wand higher, waiting for the figure to make some sort of move on their group. However, no attack came. The figure walked closer, allowing Newt to make out its features.

It was an older woman, dressed in an absurdly large white coat, with large ruffles of fur around its shoulders. Over her head was flat white hat, pulled tight around her skull. Peaking out from under it were grey curls. In her hands was a small, folded-in parasol. She tottered closer to William, who was still pointing his wand at her.

‘I can’t see a thing through this fog,’ the woman said. ‘You wouldn’t be able to help me? You look like able young people.’

William sighed and lowered his wand from the old woman’s face. As soon as he did, a dangerous glint appeared in her eye. Before Newt could so much as twitch his wand, the old woman had whipped out a wand from the parasol’s handle, bringing it upwards in a diagonal slash. In response to this movement, a large gash ripped open in William’s chest, and he fell backwards, screaming in pain, blood spilling out from the wound in large quantities.

Newt froze at the sight of the wounded William, giving the old woman a chance to raise her wand again, this time aiming for him. Before she could cast a curse of any variety, a wall of golden light burst between Newt and her, sending the old woman stumbling backwards. Newt looked to the source and saw Tina standing defiantly, golden light shooting out from the tip of her wand. He was glad that she had at least been ready for confrontation where he had frozen.

‘Newt, focus! I’ll hold her back, you help William!’ she shouted.

Her commands snapped Newt’s focus back to the issue at hand. As Tina engaged the woman, Newt sat down beside the wounded William. Even at first glance, William’s condition looked awful. The gash in his chest was wide and deep, with dark blood spilling out all over the place. Newt had a decent knowledge of healing spells, but he had no idea where to start with William’s wound. He waved his wand up and down the gash, trying a basic sealing spell, but nothing happened. He tried another spell to slow the bleeding. It failed to work. If anything, William’s bleeding got worse. A degree of panic began to rise in Newt’s throat. William was getting paler as he lost more blood.

Jacob knelt beside him and surveyed the wound. Without saying a word, he pulled off his jacket and pressed it down on the wound.

‘I learnt this in the army. Pressure on a wound can help stop bleeding, but I don’t know how much it’ll do to a magic wound. You know any ways to help?’

Jacob’s calm response heartened Newt slightly, allowing him to push the panic down.

‘It’s a curse wound, but I can’t help him without knowing which curse it was,’ Newt said shakily.

‘Try the counter-spell for _Vulnus Mortiferum_!’ Tina shouted, apparently hearing Newt’s predicament.

Newt spared a glance at Tina as he tried to remember exactly what the counter-spell was. Her wand was a blur, various coloured bursts firing out towards the old woman. She had obviously underestimated them, as Tina had the upper hand. She was desperately throwing her wand about with defensive magic as Tina fired various hexes and curses in her direction. However, she wasn’t fast enough, and one of Tina’s hexes hit her in the face, knocking her to the floor.

A moan from William made Newt stop watching and continue working on his wound. Jacob’s coat was starting to become soaked in blood. The application of pressure wasn’t working, so Newt removed the coat from the wound. Newt still couldn’t remember the counter-spell for Vulnus Mortiferum, but healing spells for similar curses came to his mind, so he tried some of those on the wound. He was clearly getting warmer, as the bleeding slowed slightly. The sight of the slight healing gave Newt hope. He wracked his brains, searching for the counter-spell he needed. A faint memory of a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson drifted into his mind. The spell was on the tip of his tongue… he just needed to remember the words…

‘ _Nolite Vulnus Mortiferum!_ ’ he shouted, wand tracing over the gash. To Newt’s distinct pleasure, the wound stopped bleeding and closed itself up. Jacob gave him a relieved smile.

Despite the healing of his wound, William was still worse for wear. Newt fished into his coat pocket and pulled out a small vial of viscous red liquid. He pressed it into Jacob’s hand.

‘This is Blood Replenishing potion. Get him to drink it. I’ll help Tina,’ Newt said.

Jacob nodded in recognition, so Newt turned his attention to where Tina was duelling the old woman. He was caught off guard by the fact it was no longer an old woman, instead a young, haughty looking woman with black hair. She was distinctly recognisable, but Newt couldn’t put his finger as to why. Nevertheless, she was still throwing curses in Tina’s direction, so Newt fired one of his own hexes in her direction. The woman seemed to sense it coming, creating a shield charm around herself, deflecting away Newt’s hex and a curse from Tina. Newt took the opportunity to step up beside Tina.

‘It’s Vinda Rosier,’ Tina said.

Newt’s heart jumped. Rosier was one of Grindelwald’s closest lieutenants. If they could capture her, it would go a fair way towards learning Grindelwald’s true plans. Unfortunately, Rosier seemed to realise that she was being outclassed. She took a step and disapparated. Tina swore at the spot she had been standing.

‘I knew I should’ve cast an anti-disapparation jinx,’ she said.

‘Worry about that later. William’s condition is still poor,’ Newt said.

Tina knelt to look over William’s condition. She gave a few nods when looking at the closed wound and murmured some healing spells of her own. Once she appeared satisfied with his condition, she tapped his forehead with her wand and cast the Reviving Spell. William’s eyes shot open and he gasped loudly. Newt quickly joined Tina in stopping him from getting up.

‘It’s best if you stay lying down. We’re not sure if the curse damage has been entirely healed,’ Tina said.

William looked like he wanted to make a protest of some variety, but he gave another gasp, this time of pain, before slouching to the ground again. Newt was about to offer some words of consolidation when the air around them cooled drastically. The sudden chill seemed to seep through his skin, piercing into his heart and mind. The fear he had for William’s life grew drastically. He glanced up. Tina had gone pale, her hand gripped tightly around her wand. Jacob was looking around, like he expected to see something coming towards them. William was moaning with pain, his voice getting louder and louder. With every louder moan, the chill in Newt grew as well, making his blood run cold. His mind started to push up repressed memories… once more he found himself surrounded by blue flames… around him were screams as people turned to ash…

Newt shook his head violently, trying to bring himself back to reality. In the corners of his eyes, the blue flames continued to burn… but he could see his surroundings now… through the dark fog, several figures approached… a horrible, wheezy rattling noise filled Newt’s ears… he could hear little else.

As the figures got closer, Newt could make out the form of a tattered cloak. Underneath, gnarled, grimy hands reached out towards him. He could barely focus; it was taking all his energy just to stay focused on the approaching figures. He knew what they were: Dementors. He needed a happy memory… but as they kept coming closer none came to mind… the rattling was all he could hear… the chill was all he could feel… raging blue flames were filling his vision…

Knowing he was on the verge of unconsciousness, Newt looked across to Tina. He needed to see her one last time, before the Dementors stole his happiness. She was feeling the effect just as badly, her face pale, muttering pleas for her sister. Newt couldn’t bear to see her in such pain. As the Dementors closed in, Tina met his gaze, obviously trying to get one last look at him as well. But when their eyes met, it sparked a fire in Newt’s heart. The chill was beaten back, Newt’s vision cleared. He homed in on the spark, letting it fill him with warmth, letting it direct his wand hand upwards towards the Dementors. Tina followed suit only a moment later, a fire in her eyes. The Dementors slowed their approach for a moment, and Newt seized the opportunity to pour his newfound warmth into his wand, hoping Tina would do the same.

‘EXPECTO PATRONUM!’ they shouted in unison.

The silver forms of a Niffler and a Salamander shot out from the tips of their wands and charged into the Dementors. The dark creatures hissed as they were pushed back by the gliding Patronuses, flying in and around their group. Unable to stop the magic, the Dementors fled back into the fog from whence they came, leaving Newt and the others behind.

Newt stood up and watched them go until Tina pulled him around to face her. Before he could say a word, she pulled him into a kiss. Newt allowed himself to be pulled into the warmth of her lips, letting them distract him from the cold, foggy world. He could’ve stayed there forever, but Jacob let out a loud cough.

‘Someone’s still injured. You do realise this?’

Newt and Tina regretfully split apart. Newt immediately missed the warmth that had come with Tina’s close proximity. However, Jacob was right; William needed immediate attention.

‘Can you send a Patronus message?’ Tina asked Newt.

‘Um, no. That was – was always beyond my abilities,’ Newt replied.

A worried frown fell upon Tina’s face. It did not take a genius to figure out why. They were somewhere in the large city of Berlin, unable to figure out where they were going through the thick fog. They were likely surrounded by Dementors, and Vinda Rosier had surely warned any other acolytes of their presence. And even if they did figure out a way to move, they would need to move slowly for William, who was looking in very poor condition despite the healing of his wound.

‘Do we have to send a message? Could you just send a Patronus to Theseus?’ Jacob suddenly said.

Newt didn’t need to answer the question. He waved his wand, conjuring his Niffler Patronus once more. It bounced around in the air, waiting for some kind of direction, as the Dementors hadn’t tried to come back yet.

‘Go to Theseus. Hopefully he’ll understand,’ Newt said.

The silver Niffler immediately shot off past Newt, its glow disappearing into the fog. The group fell into silence. Newt knew that they, like him, were waiting for some sort of communication back from Theseus, that would tell them what to do. Newt silently cursed his inability to send a Patronus message. What if Theseus didn’t understand? What if they were left trapped amongst hundreds of Dementors because his brother thought they were fine?

Newt’s thoughts were given no further fuel as a large silver lion bounded through the fog and stopped in front of the group.

‘Follow the lion,’ said Theseus’ voice.

The lion waited patiently as Newt turned to Tina and Jacob.

‘You’re the best dueller, Tina, so Jacob and I will carry William,’ Newt said.

Tina’s Auror instincts immediately kicked in. She moved to the front of the group, her wand raised in defensive form. Newt knelt on the other side of William to Jacob. He put one of William’s arms around his shoulder and Jacob did the same. They slowly lifted him up by his waist until he was on his feet. William still looked poorly but Newt was confident that he could at least walk with their assistance.

The lion started moving back into the fog. Its pace was reasonably slow, allowing for Newt and Jacob to help William along. The fog didn’t allow them to see much further past the Patronus, which made Newt extremely grateful that it was guided by magic, not by sight. The fog seemed to get thicker and thicker as they walked, making it harder for Newt to follow Tina, let alone the Patronus.

The air chilled dramatically. Newt was immediately on alert, certain that he could see the faint outline of figures moving in the fog. As they took a few more steps forward, William started shaking slightly, moaning painfully. Newt took no chances, casting another Patronus to float around them. As it glided in circles, the air warmed again, and William calmed again. The figures shifted back into the fog, out of view. Newt gave a sigh of relief.

‘I don’t mean to down the mood, but where did Tina go?’ Jacob asked.

Newt looked ahead and realised that both Tina and the Patronus had disappeared into the fog. He didn’t need Dementors to help a sudden feeling of panic set in. They were once again trapped in the fog, only this time he was the only person in any condition to cast a Patronus.

Newt started to call Tina’s name, hoping she was close enough to still hear him. Jacob joined in, slightly more panic in his voice. His inability to do anything in the face of Dementors seemed to make him more fearful than he had been on other adventures.

Figures started to appear in the fog again, drawn to their calling. Newt saw them approaching and hushed Jacob with a hand. He hoped that the fog would be too strong for the figures to see them. If they were Dementors, this wouldn’t matter, but Newt’s Patronus was still flying about, making Newt more confident about their chances against the dark creatures.

Newt’s plan didn’t work. The figures moved even closer to their position, knowing exactly where they were. This confirmed they weren’t Dementors; Newt’s Patronus was still strong, which would’ve pushed them away.

The figures moved closer again. Newt could almost make out their features. He gripped his wand tightly in his left hand, ready to defend the three of them from any attack. He was about to cast a hex on the closest figure when tight black ropes wrapped around his body, making him drop his wand.

‘Don’t move!’ shouted a recognisable voice.

From the direction of the shout came dark-skinned man, a sleek wand pointed at them. Newt felt like he knew him, but he couldn’t see enough of his features to confirm. Assuming it was another one of Grindelwald’s acolytes, he tried to grasp his wand from the ground.

‘Yusuf! It’s me, Jacob, with Newt and William!’

The man immediately lowered his wand. Newt realised that it was Yusuf Kama, one of the survivors of Père Lachaise and newfound ally.

‘Jacob? Thank goodness. Tina and Theseus were getting worried. Follow me, quickly,’ Yusuf said.

He flicked his wand and the ropes disappeared from around Newt. He quickly picked his wand up from the ground and helped Jacob with William. Yusuf led them through the fog, keeping a fast pace that Newt and Jacob struggled to keep up with. Before long they reached a barrier of extremely thick fog. Yusuf paused and waited for Newt and Jacob to catch up with him.

‘Sorry for the fast pace. I know William’s in a bad condition. We just can’t risk being caught by Dementors or acolytes. The rest should’ve got back by now,’ he said, flicking his wand about, jabbing at parts of the thick fog barrier.

Newt watched in fascination as the fog barrier parted where Yusuf had jabbed his wand. Through the newly created gap he could see a clear area, devoid of all fog. Yusuf gestured for them to go through, so Newt and Jacob stumbled through, carrying William. Yusuf waved his wand some more and the fog barrier closed behind them.

Looking around them, Newt was stunned to see a wide-open circular space, completely unmolested by fog. Within this area were all the members of the group Theseus had brought to Berlin. Most of them were placed around different areas of the fog circle. In the middle of the circle was Theseus and two others that had their back to Newt. However, Theseus noticed them walk in and broke off the conversation. Before he could reach them, one of the people pushed past him and ran up to Jacob and Newt.

‘William! What happened?’ Albert shouted to Newt.

‘Vinda Rosier cursed him. He needs better attention than we can give him,’ Newt said.

Albert took William from Newt and laid him down with Jacob’s help. Elphias Doge came over to help. Newt and Jacob looked at each other, trying to figure out if they should help. Neither of them was sure until Albert waved them away with his left hand, using the wand in his right to perform some sort of healing magic on his twin.

As Newt and Jacob stepped away from the twins, Theseus and the other person he was talking to reached them. Before Newt could register who it was, he was pulled into a hug alongside Jacob and held very tight.

‘Thank Merlin you’re alright. I was so worried,’ said Tina.

‘We got surrounded by Dementors,’ Newt said.

‘But Newt managed to run them away with one of those Patronus things,’ Jacob finished.

Tina squeezed them once more before letting them go. It was at that point that Theseus reached their spot. He clapped Newt on the shoulder and nodded to Jacob.

‘I figured something was wrong when a Niffler Patronus appeared in front of me with no message,’ Theseus said. ‘Then Tina arrived without you, looking quite worried. I sent Anna and Yusuf out to find you.’

Newt nodded. He never should’ve doubted that his brother would understand his silent Patronus message. He had spent years of his life looking after Newt. He could tell when something was wrong.

‘What’s with the fog barriers?’ Jacob asked, glancing around.

‘Albert told us what was going on, so we rushed into town. Of course, this meant we were attacked by Dementors and acolytes as soon as they realised we were here. We created this fog barrier to keep them out while we consolidated our position. They have Muggle-repelling charms and protective wards against those that wish us harm,’ Theseus answered.

Newt was about to remark on what impressive magic the barrier was when there was a loud boom from the eastern side of the fog barrier. Tina and Theseus pulled their wands out and slowly stepped over to the source of the noise. Newt signalled for Jacob to stay where he was before following them.

As he got closer, he could see that a large hole had been ripped open in the fog barrier. On either side of the hole stood Anna Abbott and Mary Prewett. There was a thick tension in the air as the five of them waited for something to happen, for Dementors or acolytes to start rushing into their safe zone. But none of that happened. There were figures in the fog beyond the barrier hole, Newt could clearly see them, but none of them made a move towards the opening. A glance to Theseus and Tina revealed that they were just as confused as to what was going on.

Before anyone could question the lack of attack, there was a shout from the other side of the safe area. Newt spun around to see Bilius fighting back several Dementors with a Patronus. More and more Dementors were entering through the fog barrier, attacking various members of their team. Elphias Doge and Albert Gadeon were forced to abandon their efforts of healing to fend off several Dementors.

‘How are they getting past the fog barrier?’ Tina asked.

‘Is that so important, Ms Goldstein?’ said a drawling voice.

Newt turned again, and his blood ran cold. Standing alone in the hole of the fog barrier was Gellert Grindelwald, smiling coldly. Mary and Anna fired curses at him, but he deflected them back with only a twitch of his wand, sending Mary flying and knocking Anna to the floor.

‘You made a mistake coming here, Grindelwald,’ Theseus said.

‘No, Professor Scamander, it was you that made the mistake,’ Grindelwald replied, before throwing a curse at Theseus.

Theseus quickly raised a shield charm, which absorbed the oncoming curse. Grindelwald did not seem perturbed. With a blindingly quick wave of his wand, Grindelwald conjured three balls of bright white flame. They hovered in the air around Grindelwald, making no move. Newt, unwilling to find out what the balls of fire did, fired a Body-Bind Curse at him. Grindelwald didn’t react in the slightest, calmly watching as one of the balls of flame swooped in front of him and absorbed the curse into it.

Grindelwald started to walk towards the trio of Newt, Tina, and Theseus, step by step. Newt cast another curse, followed swiftly by the other. Once more, Grindelwald made no move; the three balls of flame absorbed a curse each. Newt noticed that they were getting bigger with each spell.

Grindelwald didn’t wait for the trio to make another attack. He swept his wand horizontally in front of him, sending a shock wave flying towards them. Both Newt and Theseus cast a shield charm, causing the shock wave to harmlessly connect with the magical shield. However, they were on the back foot, forced to take a step back every time Grindelwald took a step forward.

Tina fired several curses in quick succession, so fast that Newt couldn’t keep track of which curses she was using. As the spells flew with speed towards their target, two of the flame balls merged together, giving it a larger surface area. The curses had nowhere to go but into the larger ball and were once more absorbed.

Grindelwald made another move, creating three serpents made of pure electricity, sending them slithering through the air to attack. As they approached, Theseus began to prepare his signature Lightning Curse, waving his wand in circular motions to conduct lightning. His wand acted as a lightning rod, attracting the three electric serpents. Before they could get into attack range, they were struck by several bolts of lightning, which absorbed them into Theseus’ spell.

Grindelwald looked slightly concerned about how powerful Theseus’ Lightning Curse was becoming. He twirled his wand, causing the final ball of flame to merge with the larger one to create one huge one. The power of Theseus’ curse finally reached its peak, so he jabbed his wand in Grindelwald’s direction, causing large bolts of lightning to streak through the air towards Grindelwald. Most of the bolts simply hit the large ball of flame, getting absorbed like their other spells. A few were too erratic for the ball to catch, forcing Grindelwald to erect a quick shield charm to protect himself.

Behind Grindelwald, Newt saw Mary Prewett and Anna Abbott push themselves up, readying their wands. He felt a surge of hope. Grindelwald was focused on his current battle; he wouldn’t notice the witches behind him. This was a chance to defeat him.

In typical fashion, things didn’t work out how Newt wanted. Just as Mary and Anna were ready to attack Grindelwald, Vinda Rosier marched through the hole in the barrier, followed by a small group of cloaked acolytes. Mary and Anna were immediately diverted to taking a defensive position against the new threat. As if he could see exactly what was going on behind him, Grindelwald gave a smug smile to Newt.

Tina was angered by this. She wildly fired some hexes at Grindelwald. Hoping to bypass his protective ball of flame, Newt twisted his wand, sending Dancing Feet Jinx speeding towards Grindelwald’s side. On the other side of Tina, Theseus sent a few curses of his own at Grindelwald.

The ball of flame didn’t move towards any of the incoming spells, giving Newt another surge of hope. Once again, Grindelwald crushed this back down to Newt’s stomach. Grindelwald pulled his wand away of the ball of flame, causing it to grow dramatically. It was large enough to absorb all of the incoming spells. The ball of flame now looked unstable, magical energy crackling around its spherical shape. Grindelwald brought his wand back in, then flicked it up. The ball of flame exploded and all of the spells it had absorbed were sent flying about the concealed area.

Newt had to cast a shield charm to protect himself from his own Dancing Feet Jinx, while Tina and Theseus combined their shield charms to stop several curses that flew at them. More of the spells whizzed past the trio. Newt watched in horror as two curses went over his head and struck Jacob, who had been in the process of pulling William away from some Dementors. His Muggle friend crumpled to the ground with the impact. Another curse flew towards Bilius Abbott; he heard it coming, managing to dodge out of the way and letting the curse collide with an oncoming Dementor. Yusuf threw up a protective charm as another few curses headed towards him and Nagini. The rest collided harmlessly with the fog barrier.

Newt moved to go help Jacob, but he was forced back into the duel by Grindelwald firing spells at him. He had been caught distracted. He managed to deflect one away but was caught in the chest by another two. One of the spells was a Winding Jinx, pushing the air out of Newt, causing him to start desperately huffing air. The other sent a sharp stinging pain through the middle of Newt’s chest, creating the sensation that Newt would imagine being stabbed would feel like. He looked down and panicked when he saw blood staining his shirt. Opening his shirt up, he was relieved to see only a small wound. A muttered healing spell sealed it back up. Certain he had escaped a far more painful fate, Newt got back up to face Grindelwald again.

He was engaged with Tina and Theseus. All three combatants’ wands were a blur as spells flew at high speed. Despite the look of an even battle, Newt could tell Grindelwald easily had the upper hand. For every spell cast, he was taking a half-step forwards, forcing Theseus and Tina to take a half-step backwards.

Newt stepped up beside Tina and fired off several spells, ranging from the Body-Bind to a simple Incarcerous. The extra attacks did not phase Grindelwald, who deflected them away. He then waved his wand across the ground, creating a shockwave and sending it right at the trio. It was far faster than the first time he’d used the spell, so none of them could cast a protective spell. As the shockwave collided with him, Newt’s legs were swept out from underneath him, sending him face-first into the ground. He managed to spray his arms out in front of him, stopping his fall. His palms scraped the concrete, creating a vicious, searing pain in his hands that made his eyes water. He pushed himself up, gritting his teeth as a sharper pain screamed from his hands. As he stood, he looked at the damage. His palms were bleeding through several cuts.

‘Newt, cast a shield charm, quick!’ Tina shouted.

Newt didn’t question her order. He raised a shield charm just in time to stop a flash of red light from colliding with him. He looked up. Behind Grindelwald, Anna and Mary were duelling an acolyte with a messy tuft of brown hair. All he was able to do in response to the two witches’ attacks was deflect their spells, but every spell deflection was hitting another acolyte. Vinda Rosier was nowhere to be seen, so Newt let himself believe she’d already been taken down.

Grindelwald still had the upper hand over Tina and Theseus, even with Newt’s help. However, he seemed to have noticed that his acolytes were dropping like flies. The smug look on his face twisted to one of disgust.

‘Yatherly! Resuscitate who you can and disapparate! I’ll finish what we’re doing here,’ Grindelwald shouted.

The brown-haired acolyte, clearly named Yatherly, nodded and cast a Shockwave spell. Mary and Anna were forced to take defensive positions, allowing Yatherly to cast several Reviving Spells on the prone acolytes. Newt’s suspicions about Rosier were proven correct, as she was one of the acolytes that got up. In an instant, Yatherly, Rosier, and about four or so other acolytes spun on the spot and disappeared. Mary and Anna looked rather annoyed about their escape, disabling the remaining acolytes with more force than necessary.

With the acolytes gone, Grindelwald was the only remaining target. Newt joined Tina and Theseus in an offensive stance with his wand. Grindelwald looked happy with the fact a good number of acolytes had escaped and raised his wand in a mock salute to the trio.

‘This has been fun. Unfortunately, I am required elsewhere. Good luck with the Dementors,’ Grindelwald said.

Before any of them could reply, Grindelwald waved his wand twice over two separate areas of ground. They both cracked in the shape of a circle. He then flicked his wand up, causing two pillars of earth to shoot up from the two cracked circles. As the pillars shot up, Grindelwald twirled his wand together before swiping it down towards Newt. The pillars of dirt followed these instructions, merging together in the sky, twisting themselves into the likeness of a giant snake. The snake head grinned, revealing rows of teeth made from the earth. It flew forwards, right at Newt. He cast a shield charm, which the dirt snake collided with. However, it kept pushing, and it started to break the shield. Newt poured as much energy and power into the shield as he could, but he was fatigued from the duel and the injuries he had suffered. He was starting to feel resignation towards his fate when Tina and Theseus buffered his failing shield with shields of their own. The combination of three shields was too strong for the dirt snake and it started to fall apart, the magic that held it together no longer powerful enough.

Over the collapse of the dirt snake, Newt heard Grindelwald yell.

‘ _CONTERAM DEFENDAT_!’

The fog barrier collapsed from all around them at the same time as the dirt snake. Grindelwald had left, joining his followers wherever they had disapparated to. Newt gave a sigh of relief, but it choked in his throat. The temperature dropped to freezing. All Newt could focus on was how Grindelwald had escaped. It was his fault. He wasn’t a good enough wizard. He was weak, yet foolish enough to believe he could help. Now Jacob was likely dead because of him.

 _Jacob_. The thought of his friend crumpled on the ground shook Newt out of his depressing trance. As he looked up to find where Jacob was, he realised the cause of his misery. What looked like the entire colony of Dementors was descending upon their position, the protective barriers that had kept them out disabled. The other members of their group, such as Yusuf and Nagini, and Bilius and Albert, were backing towards what had been the centre of the circle. Newt somehow found a small sense of relief when Albert bumped into the prone from of Jacob and began casting some healing spells.

Newt was so distracted with the fate of Jacob that he didn’t notice the Dementor coming at him until it had knocked him to the ground. His ears were filled with horrific rattling as the foul creature pinned him to the concrete, lowering its hood to give him the Dementor’s kiss. He had no way to cast a Patronus; even if his wand hadn’t been knocked out of his hand, the misery was too strong.

A silver lion leapt into the Dementor as it bent down, knocking it off Newt. He grabbed his wand and scrambled to his feet as his brother’s Patronus continued to scuffle with the Dementor. He felt a hand grip his collar and yank him backwards.

‘To the middle!’ shouted Theseus.

Theseus pulled Newt to the centre. All the other members of their group were already there, casting the odd Patronus whenever a Dementor got too close. The first thing Newt saw when he joined them was Jacob sitting up. He looked worse for wear, but he was alive, for which Newt was grateful. He knelt beside his friend.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked.

‘I’ve been better,’ Jacob said sarcastically, gesturing around him.

Newt looked up again. The Dementors were circling around the group, as if they were waiting for a weak spot to strike at their desired prey. The air was thick with the fear of the group. Newt noticed Yusuf whisper something to Nagini, and she shifted into a snake. Newt understood this as Yusuf getting Nagini to save herself. Dementors found it hard to feed on animals. Humans were their preferred prey and it was looking increasingly likely that they were about to get a large meal.

‘Does anyone have any ideas?’ Elphias Doge asked in a panicked voice.

‘We need to cast our Patronuses at the same time! It’s our only hope of creating enough positive energy to drive the Dementors out of Berlin,’ Tina said.

‘It’ll never work!’ Yusuf Kama shouted.

‘It’s the best plan we have,’ Theseus said. ‘In a circle! Prepare your Patronus!’

Those that were able to cast a Patronus formed a protective circle around Jacob, the wounded William Gadeon, and the snake form of Nagini. Newt made sure he was standing in front of Jacob, hoping he could protect him if things went wrong. He felt a hand wrap around his left and squeeze tightly. Looking to his side, he saw Tina looking back at him. His heart gave a painful leap. This could be the last time they saw each other in a recognisable state. He squeezed her hand back, hoping to portray the depths of his feelings through the gesture. Tina responded with a sad smile, which was enough to tell Newt that she had understood.

The Dementors sensed something was about to happen. They began to swoop closer to the group, claws reaching out. They were trying to put them off, make one of them stumble. Newt knew it was now or never and he hoped his brother realised the same. He focused his mind’s eye on the memory of learning Tina was pregnant, his happiest memory, preparing for when Theseus gave the word.

‘Now!’ Theseus shouted.

From every wand burst a silver, corporeal animal. All of them shone brighter than any Patronus Newt had ever seen. His own Niffler and Tina’s Salamander charged into the Dementor horde, sending Dementors flying backwards from the warmth and light. Joining them in their charge was the lion of Theseus, and a snake that Newt assumed belonged to Yusuf Kama. The Patronuses of the others were also dancing through the ranks of Dementors, pushing them back. Newt watched as the Dementor horde, despite its superior numbers, flew up, out and away from their position, being chased out of the city by nine Patronuses. As the horde left Newt’s sight, the heavy fog that had made things so difficult started to lift. The dark clouds began to clear, allowing the sun to shine through onto the city of Berlin once again.

Newt’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the new light, but soon he was embracing Tina and Jacob, adding his own shout of joy to the cries of the others. Even Theseus, usually serious, had a beaming smile on his face as he embraced Yusuf Kama. Nagini had shifted back into her human form watching her adoptive father with teary eyes. Newt assumed she had seen his Patronus fending off Dementors. Newt continued to revel in the victory for a few more moments with the group, before the celebrations died down.

‘It may not have been the climatic victory that we would’ve liked, but it was certainly something for the history books! I’ll have to have a chat with Bathilda about this!’ Mary Prewett said excitedly.

Elphias Doge nodded in eager agreement before Theseus held his hand up for silence, his seriousness returning.

‘Mary’s right. It may not have been the victory we would’ve liked, but we still survived. We saved the Muggles and any wizards in the city from a plague of Dementors.

‘Anna and Bilius, I want you two to stay here with me and clean up the mess, and Obliviate any Muggles that may have seen something they shouldn’t. Hopefully both the deep fog and our barriers will have prevented that, but you can never be too careful. We’ll also need to be here to explain when the German Parliament for Magic eventually arrives.

‘The rest of you can use this Portkey to return to Hogsmeade,’ he said, pulling out a handkerchief and tapping it with his wand, making it go blue. ‘I trust you’ll be alright with another trip, Tina? I know they can make you a little ill.’

Tina nodded, understanding the hidden context behind his question. Newt, deciding to trust her opinion this time, helped Jacob to his feet. Elphias and Albert revived William, who was stable enough to regain consciousness, and heaved him onto Albert’s back. Everyone that wasn’t staying in Berlin placed a finger on the Portkey. It glowed a bright blue, and Newt felt like a hook was pulling him by his navel as the city twisted away, reforming as the streets of Hogsmeade.

As they dusted themselves off and tried to look casual for passers-by, Elphias spoke up.

‘I can give the report to Albus. Feel free to take your leave.’

Mary Prewett protested, saying she would join him, but the rest of the group muttered agreements. Albert almost immediately disapparated, obviously heading to St. Mungo’s. Yusuf and Nagini walked away, saying something about buying celebratory sweets. Soon only Newt, Tina, and Jacob were left standing in the street.

‘You guys could probably come back up to Hogwarts,’ Jacob said. ‘Not to give a report to Dumbledore, just for a hot drink or something.’

Newt nudged Tina, giving her the lead to decide. She looked between him and Jacob, before linking her right arm with Newt’s left and smiling up at him.

‘After what we’ve just been through, a hot drink sounds lovely,’ Tina said.

And so, they followed Jacob, arm in arm, past the gates and up the slope to Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this was a grind to write, but it's finally here!  
> This is the epic climax of Part 1 for Fantastic Beasts - After CoG!  
> I have a quick epilogue to whip up before it's time to start on Part 2.
> 
> Comments and criticism are welcome and appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading!


	13. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Tina bring a new family member home.

__

Newt

Getting back to his flat from St. Mungo’s was a far more stressful experience than Newt would’ve liked. It wasn’t as if having a new-born was a terrifying new experience for him. He had birthed plenty of baby creatures in his career. But something about it being his own child made the whole experience several times more stressful.

During the birthing process, Newt had been sent to wait outside because the Healers were worried that his own worrying was stressing Tina out too much. It had taken some calming from Jacob and Theseus, who had kindly joined them at St. Mungo’s, to stop him from pacing up and down the halls.

He felt rather foolish about it now, considering everything had turned out fine. A healthy son born in the early hours of the morning. Of course, now he had a new thing to worry about: transporting Tina and the baby back home. Jacob and Theseus had a car (a Muggle form of transportation that Tina had needed some convincing to use) prepared, but it didn’t stop Newt from looking between where Tina was sitting with the baby and out the back window. He half-expected Grindelwald and his entire army to come marching after them in the London streets. He was looking through the back window again when Tina spoke up.

‘Newt, I can tell you’re still worrying. How about you hold Carnelian for a bit?’

Newt looked back at Tina to see her holding the bundle of blankets that held their son out to him. He couldn’t refuse the offer, even if he had wanted to. He took the bundle from her arms with great care and brought it close to his chest. Peeking out from the bundle was the small, chubby face of his son, peacefully sleeping through the journey home. Despite his worries, the sight of baby Carnelian was enough to placate him for the moment.

It didn’t take long to reach home in the car. For a Muggle contraption, it was certainly fast. Theseus had been in the car with them, but Jacob had left a day earlier to help Bunty prepare the home. They were both waiting on the doorstep with Mildred the Wampus cat when the car arrived. Newt handed Carnelian back to Tina with care and opened the car door. Before acknowledging the welcoming party, he walked around to Tina’s side and opened her door for her.

‘You’re such a gentleman,’ Tina said teasingly, as she carefully slid from her seat, Carnelian held tightly in her arms.

‘I blame Father for Newt’s constant need to be chivalrous,’ Theseus said, hopping out of the front seat with a grin. Once the three of them had stepped clear, the car drove away with a loud honk of its horn.

Mildred was the first to greet them, bounding on her four legs to rub against their legs. The Wampus apparently had failed to notice the bundle of blankets that Tina was carrying. At least, Mildred had failed to notice until Newt thought about it. The Wampus immediately turned its focus to Tina’s arms. Tina gave Newt a worried look, so he nodded slightly to reassure her. At this reassurance, Tina knelt to Mildred’s level and revealed the contents of the bundle to her.

‘This is Carnelian Scamander, Mildred. Newt and I’s son. I hope that you’ll help us look after him,’ Tina said, a warm smile on her face.

Mildred peered at Carnelian’s face for a few seconds before she ducked her head into the bundle and licked the top of his head. Carnelian shifted slightly in his sleep as she pulled away. Mildred gave a soft purr before stepping away, allowing Jacob and Bunty to come closer.

‘He’s so adorable!’ Bunty squealed, before slapping a hand to her mouth. ‘Sorry, I forgot I need to be quiet.’

Jacob said nothing. His facial expression was strange mix of happiness and sorrow. Newt resolved to ask him about it later. Theseus grumbled about the safety of standing out in the open, so Newt bustled the group inside, closing the door behind him. They went into the living room where Bunty immediately began gushing over the baby. Theseus stood close by, trying to subtlety hide his own desire to gush over Carnelian.  

Newt saw the opportunity and tapped Jacob on the shoulder. Jacob turned to look at him, so Newt gestured to the entranceway. They left the others to Carnelian and entered the entranceway.

‘Is everything alright, Jacob?’ Newt asked.

‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just know – I just know that Queenie would’ve loved to see you and Tina together like this, with a son and everything. Sometimes it hurts to see you and Tina happy when I don’t know if Queenie and I will ever get that again,’ Jacob said. ‘But I promise I’ll be the best Godfather Carnelian could ever hope for. I’ll always be there for him.’

Newt had no words for his friend. Instead, he pulled him into a hug and held him, patting Jacob’s back. Jacob hugged back with no hesitation. They stayed in the embrace for a moment until Tina’s voice piped up from the living room doorway.

‘Alright you two, I think Carnelian needs some attention from his father and Godfather before Bunty and Theseus smother him with too much love.’

Newt and Jacob broke apart, giving sheepish smiles to Tina. They returned to the living room, but Tina stopped Newt in the doorway as Jacob went to take Carnelian from a tearful Theseus.

‘Is everything alright?’ she asked.

‘Yes, everything’s fine,’ Newt replied. ‘In fact, right now, I’d say things are perfect.’

Tina leant up against Newt’s side, both watching as Jacob sang a Muggle song to Carnelian while Bunty and Theseus dried their eyes. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. It may be a strange little family they had to help raise Carnelian, but it was their strange little family, and Newt could not wish for anything different. The fight against Grindelwald may not be over, but it could wait for moments like these.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 is finished! Wow!  
> I thank all of you that have kept up with each update, even as they got a little distant from each other.  
> This has been a fun introduction to fanfiction writing, and I hope I entertained you enough to keep you around for Part 2.  
> I'm going to take a small break for a week to finish some Uni assignments, but then I'll start work on Chapter 1 of Part 2.
> 
> Comments and criticism are welcome and appreciated.  
> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
